Surviving the Dysfunction
by x0-vindicated-0x
Summary: Their family has been unconventional since the beginning. They've gotten through it all with the help of each other, but how much are they willing to fight to keep their family together? --Sequel to Always and Forever-- Dasey
1. Just A Regular Day

**This is the sequel to Always and Forever, so I strongly suggest you read that story first in order to understand everything that happened, and who some of the characters are. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and please review, it makes me very happy. It'll probably be long, but I don't know if itll be as long as AaF but it could be, haha. **

**To make things clear, Jayden is now 11, their son Jeff is 2, and Casey and Derek are 28. Anyways, read on. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Chapter One: Just a Regular Day**

It was a regular Saturday morning in the Venturi household. Cartoons could be heard from the living room, the volume on blast while an annoyed Casey called out about ten times for someone to turn it down. The smell of coffee and toast was floating around the house as she attempted to cook breakfast without burning it. This task was presenting itself as difficult, seeing as her husband was proving to be a constant distraction.

''Derek, I'm trying to cook." Casey said for what felt like the tenth time that morning, as Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing the side of her neck gently. She felt him smirk against her skin, but he did not make any attempt to stop.

''_Derek_," she tried again, and this time, he stopped, resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her poke at the eggs in the frying pan.

"Mmm, food." he got out, inhaling deeply. "My one true love."

"Oh, well excuse me." Casey laughed, turning her head slightly so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye. She saw a slight smirk creep onto his features, but he remained silent. "Damn me to hell, I'm just your wife standing here in front of you, listening to your proclamation of undying love for something other than me."

"I'm a man, Case." Derek reminded her pointedly, swaying lightly on the spot with his arms around her waist. "We men, we love our food. You need to learn to _accept _that. Once you do, you'll find that I'm a lot easier to get along with."

"I'll keep this in mind the next time you want to kiss me." Casey teased him, grinning. She let her voice drop down below a whisper as she continued, "I hope your food can have the same effect on you as a good woman can; especially at night."

''Alright alright, I take it back." Derek said quickly, his grip on her waist tightening almost possessively. "Geez woman, no need to be so threatening with me; you know I love you."

"Yeah I do." she said with a smile. "But it never hurts to have you remind me every once in a while, does it?"

"I guess not." he said with a shrug, and, in one swift movement, he had twirled her around so that she was still in his arms, but facing him. "Anything you'd like to remind _me _of while I've got you here?"

Casey wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands clasping together loosely behind his back. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully and pretended to be deep in thought. After a moment, she smiled, and shook her head.

"Nah, not really," she said, biting back laughter. "I mean, I could remind you that you're insanely annoying and frustrating, but of course you already know that, don't you?"

Derek stared at her for a brief second, as though making sure she was kidding. After a moment, he spotted the tiny smile that was playing on her lips, and he narrowed his eyes at her in a playful glare. The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a smirk, and he shook his head disbelievingly.

"That's it, it's payback time!"

Casey's eyes widened as his smirk grew even more mischievous. In an instant, she knew what he was going to do, and shook her head, trying to pull away from him.

"Der_-ek!_" she cried, as he used his grip on her waist to pick her up and secure her over his shoulder. She hit her fist off of his back urgently. "Derek! Put me down_ this instant_! Come on, this isn't even funny!"

"It looks pretty funny from down here, actually." he said with a shrug, glancing up at her and smiling. She glared at him.

"Derek, you put me down, or so help me God, I'll-"

"You'll what?" he mocked, spinning around a couple of times. Her grip around his neck tightened, and he laughed. "Surely not chase me down with a spatula? That's spousal abuse, that is. Where's Cole? I'm sueing you for abuse and emotional trauma."

He knew that she couldn't really get angry at him, which just made it all the more amusing. What was even funnier, was that everytime she tried to get down, he'd just spin around again so that she'd have to hold on even tighter. As she begged for him to let her down, an idea came to mind, and he smirked. He reached over with one hand and switched the stove off so that the food wouldn't burn while it was left unattended. He couldn't let good food go to waste, after all.

''Alright baby, are you ready?" he asked her, holding onto her legs even tighter. He felt her body stiffen in his grip, and she looked down at him, her eyebrows raised suspiciously.

''Ready for _what_, precisely?" she asked, a fearful edge to her voice. He knew that she had picked up on his mischievous tone of voice, and that was never something to be trusted.

"We're playing human football." Derek informed her, his eyes lit up with excitement. "The score is zero, zero. Derek has possession of the ball."

''_Oh_, you mean his _wife_?" Casey bit out sarcastically. "Who would very much like to be put down at the moment, just to let you know."

"His goal? A touchdown!" Derek said, as he started off on a slow jog from the kitchen.

"What _touchdown_? There will be no touchdown, I assure you."

"He's picking up speed."

"And random chicks off the ground, but, you know, whatever works for you!"

"Here we go, he's running!"

"A little too fast, thank you very much!" Casey squealed, her grip on his neck almost painful by now. "_Derek_!"

"He's nearing his destination!" Derek cried, as he neared their bedroom. "Looks like victory lies ahead for Derek Venturi!"

"Yeah, well, victory had better not hurt." Casey mumbled, knowing that there was no sense yelling at him to put her down anymore. He was clearly not going to listen.

"Here comes the touchdown!"

"Oh no you wouldn't!" Casey said warningly, her voice wavering on every note. "You wouldn't even think of- Der_-ek!_" she finished, as he hurled the both of them onto their bed, having Casey come to a rest near the pillows. Derek, however, hit the bed a little too fast and rolled over the edge, landing with a crash onto the floor next to them. He lay flat out on his back as Casey peered over the edge of the bed and cracked up laughing at him.

"That's what you get." she got out, falling backwards and landing on her back, clutching her stomach as she tried to control her laughter. Derek took advantage of her current lack of focus and stood up, placing an arm on either side of her and leaning in over her, his stomach pressed against hers.

"What was that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Is there anything you'd like to remind me of _now_? Other than the fact that I'm annoying, and apparantly frustrating?"

"Alright alright, I'll tell you." she said, the laughter finally coming to a stop, though the smile remained set on her face. ''I love you, okay?"

Derek smirked before lowering his lips onto hers, shifting so that he was lying on an angle above her. She tangled her hands up through his hair, and he used the hand that wasn't propping his body up to try and push the straps of her tank top down over her shoulders. He almost succeeded with this, when the clearing of a throat broke them apart.

''Get a room." came a voice near the doorway. Casey wrenched her lips away from Derek's instantly, and Derek rolled over so that he was lying next to Casey, his hand resting on her stomach. He glanced over to see Jayden leaning against the doorway, in his pajamas, munching absent-mindedly on a cookie . Derek wiped his mouth and tried to make his hair lie flat again.

"This _is _a room, bud." he said, trying to get his breathing under control again. Jayden shrugged.

"Not the point." he commented, brushing cookie crumbs off of his shirt and moving onto the next cookie. Casey used her elbows to prop herself up and smiled lightly at Jayden.

"Jay, sweetheart, cookies aren't breakfast food." she reminded him as calmly as possible. Jayden raised an eyebrow at her, taking his hand off of the doorframe and looking back and forth between the two adults.

''Well there's no breakfast on the table." he said, finishing off his cookie and crossing his arms over his chest defiantly. "Do you want to know what _is _downstairs? Two hungry kids, who are waiting patiently for a breakfast while their parents are busy-"

"Okayyy, time for breakfast." Derek said, clapping his hands together and standing up. Casey looked up at him, and he extended a hand to help her up. "What were you thinking, Case? Trying to seduce me when there are poor, innocent children downstairs, waiting for their mother to feed them breakfast?"

Casey just stared at him incredulously, ready to smack him, until a voice below them broke the silence.

"What's seduce mean?"

Derek and Casey looked down to see their two year old son, Jeffrey Venturi, staring up at them curiously. Derek glanced back at Casey, who's eyes had gone wider than ever. A slight blush was creeping onto her cheeks, and he could tell that she didn't want to answer that question. Unfortunately, Jayden did.

"Seduce means when someone-"

"Alright, no more sleepovers at Uncle Edwin's." Derek declared, rubbing his hands together. He leaned down and picked up the smaller boy in his arms. "Now you, mister, have got to go back downstairs and finish watching your cartoons while Mommy goes downstairs and finishes breakfast. Got it?"

"Got it!" Jeff said, nodding. Derek swung him around so that he was on his shoulders, and jogged downstairs, the little boy giggling above him. He placed him down in front of the TV again and made his way into the kitchen, where Casey was finishing off breakfast. Jayden had gone back into the living room as well to watch TV, leaving the two adults alone in the kitchen. Derek yawned as he watched Casey move the eggs around in the frying pan. He had something that he wanted to bring up with her, but he wasn't too sure on how to do it, or if now was even the right time. But he knew that he had to do it eventually. He had been putting it off long enough, and it was getting to the point that he almost felt guilty. Taking a deep breath, he decided to voice his idea.

"Case, I've been meaning to talk to you about something." he told her, hoisting himself up onto the counter, leaning his head back against the cupboards. Casey smiled, turning the burner down a bit.

"What is it, Der?" she asked, not even looking at him. "I'm listening."

'Well, we've been married for a year and a half now, right?" he said, running a hand through his hair. She raised an eyebrow.

"That had better be a hypothetical question." she said, pointing the spatula at him threateningly. He nodded quickly.

''It is, don't worry." he assured her, and she gave a tiny smile as she nodded.

"Alright, well then brilliant observation, baby." she said, turning off the burner and moving the frying pan to a vacant burner. "What about it?"

"Well, do you remember what we promised Jayden a few years ago?" he said slowly, and she nodded. "Well, I think maybe it's time we, you know, officially adopt Jayden."

Casey glanced up, surprise on her face. Derek gulped, hoping that she would agree with what he had just said. He was relieved when the surprise faded from her face and she nodded, stepping in front of him and taking both of his hands in hers.

"I think you're absolutely right." she said, her eyes lit up. "We made a promise, and it's time to stick to our word. Jayden's already our son, I don't see why we shouldn't make it official. The temporary gaurdianship that Jeff had extended is only valid for another month or so anyway. There's nothing standing in our way anymore, so I think that we should just make it permanent."

"Really?" Derek said, relieved. Casey nodded again. "I've been thinking about it for a while, and I really think we just need to do it. We've put it off enough. So tomorrow, I'm going to go pick up some forms and speak with Jeff's lawyer, and Jayden's social worker; you know, the one who granted you a year of temporary gaurdianship last year."

"Alright," she said, nodding. She smiled softly at him. "Do you want to call Jayden in here and tell him? I'm sure he'd be really excited to find out about all of this."

Derek nodded, knowing how much Jayden wanted to be officially adopted into the family. Kissing Casey quickly, he turned his head towards the living room.

"Hey, Jay?" he called out, his hands still in Casey's. "Can you come in here for a second?"

Derek heard footsteps start towards the kitchen, and he shifted off the counter, leading Casey over to the table and sitting her down next to him. When an eleven year old Jayden walked into the kitchen, he glanced at the two of them curiously.

"I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"No, you're- wait a second, is there a reason you should be?" Casey asked, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. Derek placed an arm around her waist and laughed.

"Stay on topic, Case." he reminded her, nodding towards the curious child in front of them. Casey opened her mouth to protest, but then nodded her head.

"Right, staying on topic." she dismissed, taking a deep breath. "Jay, how would you feel about us... me and Derek, that is, officially adopting you?"

Jayden's face instantly broke out into a smile, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you serious?" he asked, clearly excited. "I'd love it."

"You would?" Derek asked, pleased that Jayden was reacting so well to this.

Jayden nodded.

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged. "I've been living with you since I was eight years old. Making it permanent seems logical, doesn't it?"

Derek relaxed, and nodded.

"Yup." he agreed, amazed at how simple that had been. "Alright then. I'll try and start the paperwork and stuff this week. I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you."

"It's perfectly okay with me." he assured Derek, grinning.

With that said, he made his way back out into the living room to finish watching TV with Jeff. Derek looked at Casey and shrugged.

"That was easy." he commented, surprised at how well that had gone over. "I guess I'll set up an appointment sometime this week then, to talk things out with that social worker."

Casey nodded, giving Derek a quick kiss before getting up to take up the breakfast.

Derek sighed, leaning back in his chair. He was glad that, within a few weeks, Jayden would officially be a part of their family. It had been a long time coming, but it was what they all wanted. They were a family, and it was about time it was made official.

* * *

**The drama will pick up pretty quickly in this one, and there will be lots of it, so prepare yourselves. Anyway, please review, and Ill try to update soon. Oh, and please don't point out that the initials to this story are STD... trust me, I know. -shakes head sadly- I couldn't think of anything else. **


	2. Pristine and Proper

**Some people asked me about whether or not Cole and Kallie will be in this story. Yes, they will. :) Of course! I love writing those two. Anyway, here is the second chapter of this story, obviously. As I said, the drama picks up rather quickly. Read and review. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the show, or anything else, really. **

**Chapter Two: Pristine and Proper**

"Jeff! Give me back my jacket; I've got to get the bus!"

"Nuh-uh!" Jeff grinned from underneath the table. He clutched the coat tighter to his chest. "Mine."

"Casey, tell him to give it back!"

"Jeffrey, give your brother his jacket back." Casey said, not even turning to look at the boys as she retrieved two plates from the cupboard. "Please, he's got to catch the bus."

"Morning, baby." Derek said, entering the kitchen, and giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek.

She didn't even notice that Derek was there. She darted across the room, and gently wrestled the jacket from Jeff's arms, tossing it to Jayden, who quickly shrugged into it. Derek had to grin. Jayden looked just as good in a leather jacket as he had at that age. He often wore Derek's old one, which was practically identical to his own, only bigger.

"Thanks." he said quickly, grabbing his bookbag off the table. Casey straightened up, and gave him a quick kiss on the head.

"School, now." she ordered, motioning towards the door. "Have a good day. Love you."

"Love you; bye!" Jayden called out, brushing past Derek, and darting quickly towards the door. A moment later, they heard the front door slam shut, and Casey hoisted a pouty Jeffrey into her arms, giving him a serious sort of look.

"You've got to stop taking your brother's things, baby." she said, combing her fingers through the little boys hair. He grinned mischeviously, before wriggling out of her grasp, and running towards the stairs. They heard him run upstairs, and close his bedroom door. They both knew that he probably wouldn't be out until lunchtime. Jeff was a very creative kid, and by lunch, he had usually managed to build a lego castle, or draw about twenty pictures. He was pretty quiet whenever Jayden wasn't home, though he loved playing with his older brother.

Derek grinned at Casey, wrapping his arms around her waist gently.

"How's my girl?" he asked, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

She smiled, and gave him a quick kiss in return, her hands resting on his back.

"Good." she said honestly. "Want some breakfast?"

"Since when do I say no to food?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her as he pulled away to grab one of the plates that Casey had taken down. "God, woman. Don't you know me at all?"

He helped her serve the breakfast, before taking both plates, and placing one down in front of her, kissing her cheek quickly. He moved around the table to take his own seat, before digging in.

"I am_ so_ glad that I married a woman who can cook." he commented, pointing his fork at her as he chewed his bacon happily. She scowled at him, and he laughed. "Just kidding."

"So are you going to call someone today, about the adoption?" Casey asked, pouring herself some juice from the pitcher. Derek nodded, swallowing before hs spoke again, since Casey hated that.

"Yeah, I'll talk to Jeff's lawyer, and that social worker." he said, wiping his mouth. "It feels great to finally be taking action on this. I mean, he's family anyway. But now, it'll be official."

They discussed the adoption throughout beakfast, their voices filled with complete excitement. They both knew that making Jayden an official part of the family would make him ecstatic. They had both felt terrible when he ran off in the hospital, thinking that nobody would want him once there was a biological child to take care of. Boy, had they proved him wrong. They had included him in every single aspect of their lives ever since. They had named the baby after his father, of course, for starters. When they had moved back to London to be closer to their family, they had bought him all new furniture for his bedroom. They had let him choose over half of the baby furniture that they had searched for. And, even when the baby was born, they had tried not to let their attention falter from him too much. Sure, things had become more hectic with two children, but they had made their best efforts to ensure that neither child felt neglected. It was a hard task, sometimes, but, by now, it was just a part of everyday life.

- - - - - -

"Mr.Venturi, take a seat."

Derek sat down on the other side of the desk, making sure that he was sitting up straight. He wasn't one to try and impress others, but, right now, he wanted to make as good of an impression as he could. He needed to be taken seriously by Jayden's social worker, Mr.Easton, if he wanted to be accepted as Jayden's official gaurdian.He tried his best to look calm and casual as he prepared for the questions that he knew Mr.Easton would ask.

"How is everything going with Jayden?" Mr.Easton asked, taking a seat behind his desk, and opening up a file in front of him. "Has he adjusted well to your home, in the past few years?"

"Very well." Derek said, nodding. "He fits in perfecftly."

"And I understand you're family situation has undergone some changes in the past three years, am I right?" he asked, reading through his file carefully.

Derek shifted uncomfortably, but nodded.

"Yeah, that's right." he admitted, hoping that this wouldn't be used against him. "We moved to London, and after the birth of my son, I got married to the mother."

"You got married _after_ the birth of the child?" the social worker asked, raising an eyebrow carefully. He glanced at Derek, who instantly felt worry wash over him. He felt as though his every word and action was being scrutinized. He had never taken well to criticism, so was unsure of how to react to this statement. He racked his brain for a way to make the situation sound somewhat better. He didn't want Mr.Easton thinking that he had gone out and gotten some random girl pregnant, and had felt a need to marry her. That definitely wouldn't do much for him.

"Um, yes." he admitted, blushing a bit. "I know what you're thinking, but ... it was honestly not some sort of ... pointless hookup. I love my wife very much, and it's a very complicated story."

"Care to go into more detail on that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, and tilting back in his chair lightly.

Derek had to refrain from telling the man to mind his own business, at that point. He didn't really wish to go into his and Casey's personal issues with a complete stranger; but he knew that getting angry with the man would just lower his chances of getting permanent custody of Jayden. So, taking a deep breath, he decided to explain himself in a way that wouldn't reveal too much, but would nonetheless assure the man that he wasn't some sort of ... manwhore.

"I was engaged to my wife, Casey, about seven years ago, but it didn't work out." he started, blushing. "When me and Jayden went to visit my parents a few years back, I met up with her again, and, to make a long story short, we worked things out, and now we're married, and we've got a two year old son."

"And how does Jayden get along with your wife?" Mr.Easton asked, still writing notes on his pad of paper furiously. Derek took this as a sign that almost everything he was saying would be written down, therefore remembered, so he decided to choose his words more carefully.

"They get along great." he said truthfully, no doubts in his mind. "Casey says that she loves Jayden like a son, and Jayden says Casey is like the mother he never had."

Mr.Easton seemed to relax a bit at this, though he didn't comment on his response. He merely nodded his head, and continued writing.

"And what about your biological son?" he asked, glancing back up at Derek curiously. "How do the two of them get along together?"

Derek couldn't help but smile at this. The two boys got along so well, that you'd never be able to tell they weren't biologically related.

"They're like any other siblings." he said, ignoring the look that Mr.Eason gave him, almost doubtful. "They argue occasionally, but they're the best of friends, anyway. Jayden loves his little brother. They're quite a few years apart, but he takes Jeff to the park sometimes, and they're always playing together."

"Jeff?" the man asked, looking suddenly curious. "Isn't that the name of-"

"Jayden's father, yes." Derek said, nodding. "Jeff was my best friend, and it only seemed fitting as a sign of respect. I asked Casey about it, and when she agreed, I mentioned it to Jay. He loved the idea, and so, we named our child Jeff, just as a way of keeping his memory alive."

Derek was glad to see that the social worker seemed to be warming up to Derek more and more, now, after hearing that Jayden got along well with his new family.

"And how did he feel about the move?"

Derek knew that this question might gain him some bonus points, seeing as Jayden had absolutely loved the idea of moving.

"He was ecstatic." he explained, smiling. "The move was a really good thing for Jay. He was bullied a lot at his old school, mainly because he was so much smaller than the rest of the kids. Being a year younger than the other students didn't help much either."

"And at his current school?" he went on, sounding slightly more sympathetic towards Jayden.

"He's got tons of friends." Derek said, feeling quite proud of the kid. "He joined the hockey team last winter, and he's still on the soccer team. He's been talking about joining basketball, too."

"So he's involved in a lot of extra-cirrcular activities." the man said, approvingly. He nodded. "Good. I guess that's a big part of what helped him overcome all of the changes going on in his life. The move, the marriage, the baby ..."

"Definitely." Derek said, then figured he should add something to that. "Well... that. But he also knows he can come to me or Casey with anything that's bothering him. And he does. Whenever he has a problem, he comes to us, and we try to help him through it."

"Mhm." he said, nodding. He placed his paper down then, and folded his arms, looking at Derek sternly. "So tell me, why do you want to gain full custody of Jayden?"

Derek raised an eyebrow, figuring that the answer to this question should be painfully obvious. Couldn't the man tell that Jayden was family, already? He bit back the thousand and one negative comments that were racing through his head, and struggled to think of a good answer.

"Because he's already my son." he said, his voice laced with confidence. "I accepted him as family even before I married Casey, and now my wife and son consider him to be family just as much as I do. And now, we just want to make it official. I mean, he's been living with me for almost four years now-"

"Whcih means your temporary gaurdianship is up in a month." Mr.Easton said, scratching his chin absent mindedly. "You can either hand Jayden off to his grandmother, or apply for permanent custody. And you want to make this permanent."

"Definitely." he confirmed, nodding. He wasn't quite sure where Mr.Easton was going with this. "So how long will this take?"

Mr.Easton straightened up a little, looking fairly grave, for some reason. Derek felt his stomach flutter nervously at the look he was giving him.

"Normally, it wouldn't take too long." he explained, sighing. "But there is a minor issue, right now."

Derek's stomach clenched, and he tried to remain calm.

"An... an issue?" he repeated, worried. He cleared his throat patiently. "What do you mean?"

"Jayden's grandmother, Natalie Turner, recently contacted her son in law's lawyer, and informed him that, once the temporary custody has expired, she wants full custody of Jayden."

Derek's felt as though his heart wasn't beating anymore. His breathing hitched in his throat, and he felt his stomach drop. He couldn't believe the words that had come out of the other man's mouth. There was no way that anyone, other than him and Casey, of course, would ever get custody of Jayden. He wouldn't let it happen.

"No." he said immediately, shaking his head. "That's not going to happen."

"She has a right to-"

"No." Derek said, his hands shaking on his knees. "I'm not letting you take my kid away from me."

"She is his biological-"

"Biological be damned, Jayden is mine and Casey's son." Derek snapped, his eyes narrowed. "Why don't you ask Jayden who he'd rather live with? I'm sure he'd tell you the exact same thing."

"Mr.Venturi, you're jumping to conclusions." Mr.Easton chuckled. "I'm going to give you Natalie Turner's phone number. She lives in California. I want you to give her a call. Maybe if you explain to her what you just explained to me, how he has a good life here, she may reconsider."

"And if she doesn't?" Derek asked fearfully, paling.

Mr.Easton frowned, looking quite grave.

"We'll deal with that if it happens." he dismissed, standing up, and reaching to shake Derek's hand. Derek reluctantly did so, hoping that Mr.Easton didn't notice the way his hands were shaking. When he stepped back, he handed Derek a slip of paper with Natalie Turner's phone number scrawled across it.

"I'll be in touch soon, Mr.Venturi. I wish you and your wife the best of luck."

"Thank you, sir." Derek said, trying to remain calm as he turned towards the door, and closed it behind him.

The whole drive home, he felt like breaking off and hitting something. He forced himself to focus on the road, and not on Mr.Easton's grave news. He couldn't stand the thought of someone taking Jayden away from him and Casey. He was family. They needed him. He needed them. They just fit together. How could anybody want to destroy that?

These were the thoughts that were playing over and over in Derek's mind as he walked into the kitchen of his house, dropping the bags of groceries that he had picked up onto the counter. He was greeted by Casey wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissing him softly on the lips.

"Hey, Derek." she cooed, smiling up at him. He felt some of his fear ebb away when he saw her eyes. He loved how she could always comfort him, even when she didn't say anything. "How was your day?"

"Fine." he lied, shrugging as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "How was Jeff today?"

"Don't even ask." she laughed, smiling. "He was a bundle of energy, as usual. I took him to the park, and he stayed there for an hour and a half, trying to build a sand castle. The little girl next to him was doing a better job on hers, so he sort of jumped on it."

Derek laughed, imagining the grin on Jeff's face as he did what it took to ensure he wasn't beaten by a girl.

"That's my boy." he chuckled, ignoring Casey's scornful look. He grinned as his son came padding into the kitchen, grinning.

"Daddy!" Jeff cried, reaching his arms up towards his father.

Derek pulled away from Casey, and instead picked up his son, spinning him around.

"I heard you've become quite the little bully." he said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't get beaten by girls, eh, bud?"

"Derek!" Casey scorned, frowning. "What sort of advice is that?"

Derek frowned, and looked back at his son.

"Er, I mean, not nice, Jeff. Don't do it again." he tried again, but gave Jeff the thumbs up the second Casey turned away. Jeff laughed, and Derek turned back to Casey with his son still in his arms.

"Food?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow hopefully.

"Get a life." she said, rolling her eyes. "Would it kill you to make supper every once in a while?"

Derek stared at her for a moment, blinking a couple of times.

She sighed.

"Never mind." she dismissed, mumbling about laziness under her breath. Across the kitchen, something was tossed onto the floor, and Casey looked up and smiled. "Hey, Jay." she said, seeing the boy drop his bookbag onto the floor. "How was school?"

Jayden dropped a basketball onto the floor next to his bookbag, before shrugging.

"Fine." he shrugged, yawning as he leaned up against the counter. "I got a ninety three on my math assignment."

"That's great." Casey beamed proudly, taking Jeff from Derek's arms, and placing him down on the floor. "Go clean up your stuff, Jeffers."

"Kay." Jeff agreed, sauntering out to the living room to put away his scattered toys.

Derek was staring at Jayden silently, trying to imagine not seeing him come home to them every single day. He tried to picture what it would be like to just have Jeff and Casey with him. That idea didn't seem complete to him. He needed Jayden, and Jayden needed him. Derek wouldn't allow some random woman to rip their family apart. He was sure that, with a tiny bit of guidance and persuasion, Natalie Turner would see that Jayden would be happier staying right where he was.

"Derek, you okay?" Jayden asked, raising an eyebrow.

Derek shook out of his trance, forcing a tight lipped smile.

"I'm fine, bud." he lied, shrugging. "Just a little bit tired. Why don't you go play with your brother?"

"But he's hyper..." Jayden said fearfully. "You know what Jeff's like when he's..." Jayden trailed off, catching sight of the serious look on Derek's face, and nodding. "Er, brother-bonding it is. Jeff? You want to go to the park or something?"

Derek let out a deep breath as Jayden walked away, and Casey brushed his hair off his forehead.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked, concern clear in her eyes. "You seem really distracted tonight. Did something happen at work today?"

"Wh- oh no, babe. Of course not." he said, smiling. "I'm just tired, okay?"

He gently pushed her away, making his way towards the windowsill and trying to ignore the confusion and hurt in her eyes. It was harder than it seemed. He knew he'd just hurt her feelings, but he also knew that Casey knew him extremely well, and that she could tell when he was hiding something. He really didn't want to worry her about Jayden; he was sure he could get this whole mess worked out in a day or so, but he was still nervous.

Casey came up beside him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Okay... what's wrong?" she asked, sounding worried. "What did I do? Are you mad at me or something?"

Derek turned his head to look at her, and saw that she was clearly upset by his dismissal. His heart clenched, and he shook his head, pulling her into his arms.

"Of course not, baby." he assured her, forcing a smile. "I have nothing to be mad at you for; you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just a bit stressed out, okay?"

"What about?" she asked, running a hand through his hair and placing the other gently behind his neck. "Everything okay?"

"It's fine." he dismissed, being careful to avoid looking her straight in the eye. She could read him like an open book, and he didn't want her to question anything. "Nothing for you to be worried about, alright?" he said, smiling gently at her. He brushed his hand against her cheek. "Relax, I love you."

"You think you can sweet-talk yourself out of this, don't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She sighed. "I'll let it drop for now... but you're going to tell me... eventually."

"Meh." he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Make me something to eat, then we'll see."

She went off to cook dinner, leaving him to worry about Jayden on his own. He was going to work this out. He had to work this out. He couldn't just let someone take Jayden away from them. He belonged to the Venturi's. Hell, he _was_ a Venturi, essentially. He'd mentioned to Derek the night before about having a name change when the adoption was finalized. He wouldn't take Walker off of his name; he wanted to keep it there as a sign of respect for his parents. He would merely change it so that it reflected both of his familys. He wanted to change his name to Jayden Walker-Venturi. Derek told him that he had no problem with that, and if it was what he really wanted, he would arrange it once the adoption was finalized. But now he was worried that Jayden wouldn't have to add the second last name... because Jayden may have to go live with his grandmother.

Derek sighed.

He wouldn't let that happen. He'd have a reasonable talk with Natalie Turner, and everything would be perfectly okay. It had to be.

Watching to make sure that Casey was occupied, he slipped upstairs and pulled the piece of paper that Mr.Easton had given him out of his pocket. Sighing, he perched himself on the edge of his and Casey's bed, before picking up the phone and dialing the long distance number. It rang a couple of times, before an aged female voice answered.

"Hello, this is Derek Venturi." Derek said nervously, trying his best to sound formal and mature. He needed to make a good impression. "Jayden's..."

"Yes, Mr.Easton told me you'd be calling." she said, sounding reserved. "I suppose you'd like to talk a couple of things out with me."

Derek bit his lip.

"Yeah, obviously." he said, breathing deeply. "So, can we talk?"

"I'd prefer to talk in person." she cut him off abruptly.

He raised an eyebrow, folding one arm under his other. He wasn't getting a real great vibe from Natalie Turner.

"You do realize that I live in Canada, and you live in California?" he reminded her, wondering if she'd forgotten this tiny detail.

Mrs.Turner, however, remained apathetic and unmoved.

"I'm well aware of my grandson's whereabouts, thanks." she said coldly. "If you're serious about working this out... I expect to see you at the address that Mr.Easton gave you at six o'clock tomorrow night."

"But-"

"It was nice talking to you, Mr.Venturi." she said as nicely as possible. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

Before he could argue with her anymore, there was a click that signalled she had hung up, and the dial tone cut in again. He raised an eyebrow, before placing the phone back on it's cradle. He blew out a slow, patient breath. There was no way he was letting his kid go and live with someone that pristine and proper. No way in hell.

* * *

**Voila, chapter two. Shocking Shocking, Derek, secrets are never good for a marriage. Review, and the third chapter is in progress, and will obviously contain Derek's visit with Jayden's grandmother, Natalie Turner. And I am aware that Jayden's mother's last name was Bailey, not Turner, but I'm going with the idea that her parents divorced, and Natalie took on her maiden name again.**


	3. A Challenge

**I am clearly not in a chapter naming mood. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Three: A Challenge**

"So where exactly is it you're going again?" Jayden asked Derek, as he lugged a bag out to the car, trailing along behind Derek.

"Alberta." Derek lied easily, cursing himself for decieving his family. "There's a small convention going on in Edmonton for film-makers... and I figured it might be helpful."

"You coming back?" Jeff asked, scuffing his sneaker against the pavement of the driveway, squinting in the faint six AM sunlight.

Derek laughed, swinging Jeff up into his arms, and ruffling his hair.

"Of course I'm coming back, Jeffers." he assured him, grinning. "I'll be home by the time you wake up tomorrow morning. The convention is only a couple of hours, and I'll be home sometime tonight. Don't wait up for me. Go to bed on time for Mommy, okay?"

Jeff blinked at his father pointedly, and Derek laughed.

"At least... try." he shrugged, and Casey rolled her eyes from her place on the step.

Jayden shoved his hands in his pockets as Derek gave Jeff a kiss on the top of the head, and placed him down on the ground gently again.

"C'mere, buddy." he said, motioning for Jayden to come over.

Grinning, Jayden obliged, and gave Derek a quick hug. Derek closed his eyes briefly, reminding himself that he was doing this for Jayden, and for his family. And suddenly, the lying seemed worth it again.

"See you tomorrow." Jayden said when he broke out of Derek's hold. "We'll miss you."

"Sure you will." Derek remarked sarcastically. "You love it when I'm gone, because you get to be the man of the house."

Jayden blushed, and looked away. Derek laughed, ruffling his hair.

"I'm joking, buddy. But take care of them for me." he said, patting him on the shoulder.

He turned to Casey last, reaching out to grasp her hand, and pull her up to him. He hugged her tight to his chest, and kissed the side of her head.

"I'll see you in the morning." he whispered to her softly. "I'll be getting home late, so I'm taking tomorrow off. Don't wait up for me, okay?"

"Knowing Jeff, I'll probably still be wrestling him to bed by the time you get home."

Derek laughed, pulling back and holding her at an arms length.

"Probably." he shrugged, grinning. "He loves annoying you. It's an inherited trait, and I'm the master."

Casey scowled at him, but he leaned forwards and pressed his lips to hers carefully, giving her a quick kiss.

"See you." he said, grasping his car keys tight in his hand. "Love you guys. Bye."

They all waved goodbye to him as he clambered into the car. Derek started the vehicle up, and smiled faintly at them in the rearview mirror. He watched as Casey lifted Jeff up into her arms,and Jayden leaned up casually against the garage door. He rolled the window down, resting his left arm on the side of the car.

"Have fun in Ab'erta, Daddy." Jeff laughed, waving goodbye to his father from his mother's arms.

Derek's face fell, and he instantly felt another twinge of guilt flood through him for lying to them. Reminding himself that he had good intentions, he dismissed his guilt, pulled out of the driveway, and sped down the road quickly, trying his best to concentrate on the task at hand, and not on the lies he was currently telling. If all went well, the adoption would be finalized with ease, and he wouldn't have to lie anymore. If it was up to him, no one would ever know that there had ever been a problem in the first place.

- - - - -

From the moment that he stepped off of the plane, Derek instantly realized why people from places like California often found Canada so cold. The weather was absolutely stifling.

He peeled his leather jacket off as he walked through the airport, deciding that it was way too hot to be wearing it. He clutched his single bag tighter with one hand, and made his way out onto the curb, immediately spotting a free taxi, and clambering into it.

"Where you going to?" a younger boy, looking no more than nineteen, asked him, glancing into the backseat.

Derek looked up, studying the boys appearance carefully. He looked like a younger version of Derek's style. His hair was blonde and shaggy, and he was wearing a blue and white t-shirt, with jean capris. Derek had personally never worn capris, but he supposed that, in a place like California, it could be considered in style.

"Uh, I'm going... here." he said, handing the boy the slip of paper with Natalie Turner's address on it.

The boy scanned through it quickly, before nodding and starting up the car.

"Suburbs, huh?" he asked, as they pulled away from the curb, and made their way through the parking lot. "You got family there?"

Derek stopped staring out the window, and turned to look at the driver. He shook his head slowly, before remembering that this action couldn't be seen.

"No, not family." he explained quickly. "I've just got to meet up with someone here."

They chatted absent mindedly until the taxi pulled up in front of a rather large looking home on a hill that was scattered with dozens of similar, fancy looking homes. He handed the taxi driver a twenty, motioning for him to keep the change before getting out of the car, and staring up at the house in front of him. It was now or never. He glanced at his watch. It was only ten minutes to six; he had made it there with time to spare. He had booked a round trip, so he knew he had to be back at the airport in three hours to catch his flight home.

Trying not to feel nervous about any of this, he slowly made his way to the front door, clutching the bag with his items from the plane in his hand tightly. He reached out casually and rang the doorbell, waiting patiently for someone to answer. He wasn't surprised to hear that Natalie Turner had one of those fancy doorbells that practically sang a song to you while you waited for someone to answer. Derek hated those. The last thing he wanted to listen to when he stood on someone's doorstep was some swanky melody from the eighteen hundreds.

Finally, the door swung open, and Derek found himself face to face with a rather tall woman. Derek was instantly surprised. For a grandmother, she looked pretty young. Her light brown hair flowed down past her chin a little bit, and there wasn't a wrinkle visible on her skin. She was dressed in a purple button up blouse, and black pants. Derek could only guess being rich was helpful when it came to looking young. She studied Derek sternly, looking his rather plain attire over a couple of times before extending a hand to him.

"Natalie Turner." she said, essentially introducing herself.

Derek bit back the irresistable urge to say 'No shit', and shook her hand formally.

"Derek Venturi." he returned, quickly placing his hand back into his pocket.

She stepped back and held the door open to allow him to step in. Hesitantly, he did so, and he looked around in surprise. Her house was huge. The porch that he was standing in had a high ceiling, and was in a circular shape. The floor was made of white marble, and the walls were pearly white to match. He laid his bag on the cushioned bench next to the door, and hung his jacket on the golden coloured coat rack, feeling oddly out of place in such a large and elegant home.

As Natalie led him up a set of stairs, and through a series of rooms, chatting pointlessly about retail values, Derek was trying to picture Jayden living in this house. His first thought was that all of this white decor that Natalie had going on wouldn't last very long. Jayden wasn't exactly messy, but Derek and Casey were fairly slack when it came to household rules, and it wasn't uncommon for Jayden to be running around the house with his sneakers on. He could tell without asking that this was something that Natalie Turner would never allow in her beautiful home.

Finally she led him into a beautifully lit room in the rear of her home. There were no walls or ceilings, only windows, and it became clear to Derek that this was some sort of sunroom. He raised an eyebrow as Natalie motioned for Derek to take a seat at the rectangular table in the centre of the room.

He did so, and she took a seat across from him.

"Juice?" she asked him, motioning towards the pitcher of fruit juice sitting in the middle of the table.

"Um, sure." Derek said, nodding. The formal atmosphere that she gave off was too much for him to handle. He wasn't used to formality. He took the glass that she handed to him, before rushing on. "So I guess we've got a couple of things to get worked out, don't we?"

She nodded, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we do." she agreed, seeming to open up to him a bit more. "I want custody of Jayden." she said simply, acting as though it were no big deal.

Derek tried to stay calm as he answered.

"Now see, I get that." he lied, nodding. "But I've got a slight problem with it."

Natalie raised an eyebrow, acting as though she had no clue what problem Derek had with her request.

"Jayden is mine and Casey's son." he informed her confidently.

She chuckled in amusement, and Derek felt his blood boil at the sound of it. There was nothing funny about what he'd just said. She had no reason to laugh.

"Surrogate son." she corrected, shaking her head in disagreement. "He may have lived with you for four years now, but biologically, he will always be my daughter's child."

"And my best friend's child too, in case you haven't forgotten." Derek put in, raising his eyebrow pointedly. "And when Jeff died, he left Jay to me."

"Jayden." she corrected sternly.

"He likes to be called Jay." Derek pointed out, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at how little she knew about her own grandson.

"His name preference doesn't exactly matter right now." she sighed. "What matters is that I have a right to have custody of my own grandson."

"You barely know him."

"That's exactly why I want to take him." she shrugged, taking a sip of her juice. "I never got the chance to get to know my only grandson, no thanks to you, and I'd-"

"No thanks to_ me_?" Derek repeated angrily. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

She smiled coldly, placing her empty glass back down on the table in front of her.

"It means that you never once brought my grandson to see me." she shrugged, as though it were obvious. "I haven't seen Jayden since the funeral."

"You could have called." he pointed out, getting frustrated with her lack of co-operation. "You can't put all of the blame on me and Casey for you not seeing your grandkid. I'll admit that we didn't bring him to see you, but I didn't even know your name... or where you lived, or your phone number. My wife did mention the idea a couple of times, but we didn't know how to-"

"Speaking of your wife..." Natalie said all of a sudden, smirking. Derek felt anger bubble up in him. If she said one negative thing about Casey, there would be hell to pay. "I heard from Mr.Easton that your wife is also your stepsister?"

Derek was surprised that she even knew this piece of information, but was not at all ashamed of his and Casey's relationship. He sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest defiantly.

"Yeah, that's right." he confirmed, nodding. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Natalie looked surprised that he had admitted this, but regained her composure rather quickly, nodding.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." she informed him, frowning. "I don't know what sort of morals you were taught growing up, Mr.Venturi, but I most certainly don't approve of this sort of relationship."

"Well that's not exactly your choice." he shrugged, not really caring what she thought. "Nobody I know disapproves of mine and my wife's relationship, and incidentally, that includes Jayden. He doesn't see a problem with it."

Natalie's frown only increased.

"That's what worries me." she sighed, and Derek raised an eyebrow; she was such a drama queen. Seriously, the woman gave Casey a good run for her money, and that was saying something. "The idea that he finds this sort of thing okay is just... upsetting. He's clearly not be raised with proper morals."

"Times are changing, Ms.Turner." he shrugged, not at all phased by her words. He grabbed a cookie off of the tray in front of him, and took a spiteful bite of it. "You either change with them, or be left behind."

Natalie scowled, clearly not comfortable with someone that she considered to be below her social standard being so casual with her.

"I can form my own opinions, thank you very much." she sighed. "About your wife-"

"You are _not_ to bring my wife into this, do you hear me?" he bit out angrily, narrowing his eyes at her. "You have no right to judge her, or our relationship. I don't care if you judge me, but you've never even met her. She's a wonderful person."

Natalie seemed to soften a bit then, and she relaxed.

"I'm sure she is." she shrugged, giving him a confident smile. "In fact, I'm sure your both wonderful people."

Derek's eyebrows scrunched together. This woman had to have some sort of a multiple personality disorder or something, he was sure of it. She was kind to him one second, then she was criticizing his marriage, and now she was acting sweet again. Women.

"This whole custody issue isn't meant to insult you or your wife in any way, shape or form. In fact, I thank you for taking care of him over the past few years, after the death of my son in law. But I just want the chance to get to raise him myself. I think he'd be better off with family."

"He is with family." Derek argued stubbornly, giving her a stern look.

"Biological family."

Derek couldn't resist this time; he rolled his eyes, and glanced away. This woman was impossible to get through to, it seemed. He didn't understand how he was supposed to show her that him and Casey were providing a suitable home for Jayden if she wasn't willing to listen.

"He's happy where he is." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Me and my wife mentioned adoption to him the other day, and he was thrilled. He said he considers himself to be a part of our family, and he's perfectly okay with making the arrangement permanent."

"Well his opinion might change if he found out that he could live with real family." she suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Derek smirked at her, up for the challenge.

"We'll see about that." he said, with an equal amount of determination in his voice.

"I'm willing to go to take you and your wife to court over this matter." she informed him, as though she thought that this would scare him away.

But Derek's smirk only grew wider. He was aware that the casual atmosphere of his next statement would just piss her off, but he didn't really care. He leaned forwards, his signature smirk playing casually on his face, and raised an eyebrow.

"Bring it on."

- - - - - -

"I wanna call Daddy in Ab'erta." Jeff whined for what Casey thought must have been the fiftieth time that hour alone.

She sighed.

"You can't call Daddy, baby." she tried to explain to him. "Daddy's in a conference."

"What's a comfrence?" he asked innocently, swinging his legs back and forth in front of him.

He was sitting on Casey's work desk as she tried to get some of her work done on the computer. Jayden had left for school shortly after Derek had left, but Jeff was still home, and was making it impossible for Casey to get any of her work done. He had a way of sulking until he got his way, just like Derek, and she couldn't say no to his puppy dog eyes.

"Conference, sweetie." she corrected him. "And it's sort of like a meeting."

"What's a meeting?"

Casey sighed, scratching a sentence off of her rough draft, and retyping the new version onto the computer.

"Um, it's when a bunch of grown-ups meet to discuss a bunch of work stuff." she explained, before reading what she had just typed, and groaning. "No, that won't work..."

"How come I can't go?" Jeff asked, pouting.

"Effect of... cause and effect..." she murmered, biting her lip. She suddenly realized that Jeff had said something, and looked up. "Sorry Jeff. What did you say?"

"Why can't I go to Daddy's comfrence?" he asked, frowning.

"Confr-" she started to correct him, but decided against it. "Um, you wouldn't like it, baby. It's really boring. A bunch of old people talking about work stuff. Not a fun place for kids to be."

"So then how come-" Jeff started, but was cut off by the ringing of the phone.

Casey silently thanked whoever it was that was calling her, glad that she didn't have to answer anymore of Jeff's questions.

"Hello?" she said, snatching up the phone quickly, praying that it wouldn't be Jayden's principal again. Although he was generally a good kid, Jayden loved pranking, just like Derek, and had gotten phone calls home multiple times about his harmless but hilarious pranks.

"Casey, it's Sam." came the voice on the other line.

Casey smiled. Although she'd disconnected with Sam during the years she'd spent in Toronto, they had re-established their friendship when her and Derek had moved back to London.

"Hey." she greeted, lifting an impatient Jeff onto her lap, and tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder so that she could type and hold onto Jeff at the same time. "Everything okay?"

"Yep." he said, sounding rather pleasant. "Look, is Derek gone yet?"

"Um, yeah, he left this morning." she informed him, biting her lip. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's no big deal." Sam dismissed, sounding disappointed. "It's just I hooked him up with the plane tickets to California this morning, and I just found out I could've gotten them for a lot cheaper if he left tomorrow."

Casey smiled, not really paying attention to what Sam was saying.

"Well that's really sweet, but-" she stopped, running over what he'd just said in her mind a few times. And then, something clicked. "Wait a second... California?"

Sam hesitated.

"Um, yes?" he said, sounding uncertain. "That's where he's gone. Did he even tell you where he was going?"

"Yeah, he did." Casey said bitterly, placing Jeff down on the floor, watching as he ran from Casey's office, and into the playroom. She scowled. "But he sort of told me he was going to Alberta for a work conference."

Sam was silent for a moment, apparantly thinking.

"I see." he said quietly, clearly embarassed. "Well I'd best be going now."

"Sam!"

"I'll talk to you later!"

"Sam, why is Derek gone to California?"

"Have a good day!"

Before she could get out another word, Sam had hung up the phone.

"_Men_!" she seethed angrily, slamming the phone back down on the charger.

An idea occured to her, and she picked up the Caller ID box, flipping through their outgoing calls, looking for any sign of a long distance call. She went through about five numbers before finding one with a different area code. A Californian area code.

Natalie Turner.

Casey raised an eyebrow, anger bubbling up inside her.

Derek had a _lot _of explaining to do.

* * *

**So I'm getting the feeling that Natalie is going to end up being one of those characters that everyone just hates... haha. Yeah I don't like her. But she's definitely (one of) the sources of drama in this story. Review, my friends.**


	4. That Damned Estrogen

**Oh don't we all just love Grandma Turner? -sigh- I shall have fun with that character. There is a definitely a bumpy road ahead for the Venturi family. One issue can often create chaos, eh? Read on, my friends, and thank you for all the reviews I've been getting . :) It means a lot.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Life With Derek.**

**Chapter Four: That Damned Estrogen**

By the time Derek pulled up in the driveway, it was three o'clock in the morning. He glanced up at his house, which looked completely dark. He took this as a good sign; nobody would be able to hear him sneak in. Of course, his and Casey's bedroom window was on the other side of the house, so he couldn't say for sure that she was asleep, but it _was_ three o'clock in the morning, after all.

He snuck into the house, gently closing the door behind him. Kicking off his sneakers, he made his way upstairs, storing his car keys in his pocket. He walked as quietly as possible, as not to wake anyone up, and grinned as he opened his bedroom door.

"Piece of cake." he muttered smugly to himself, proud.

Just then, a lamp flicked on, and Casey glared at him from her spot on the bed, where she was sitting with her arms folded across her chest.

"You won't be saying that when I'm done with you." she hissed, her eyes narrowed into daggers.

Derek gulped as she stood up and crossed the room, practically slamming the door shut. She turned on Derek, folding her arms.

"Where the hell have you been?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Derek started shaking nervously, wondering if she could possibly know that he'd lied to her.

"Umm... I told you, baby. I was in Alberta, on a... on a business trip." he stammered, wincing at the anger in her eyes. She pushed his shoulders roughly, pushing him back against the wall.

"Don't feed me that bullshit." she snapped, shaking her head at him. "I know you weren't in Alberta, Derek. I was talking to Sam, and he wanted to let you know that he could've gotten you a cheaper ticket to California."

Derek fell silent for a moment, before managing a brief;

"Oh."

Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" she repeated, her voice rising steadily by the second. Derek instantly recognized that he'd said something wrong, and immediately wanted to be back on the plane, next to the cranky old lady in the weird purple hat. Anything would be better than listening to one of Casey's tirades at three in the morning.

He held up a cautious hand.

"Case, before you do or say anything-"

"_California_?" she cried, shoving him again. "I may not have been a top notch student in geography, but as far as I know, California is a long way from Alberta, Derek. Try, the next country."

"I know where California is, thanks." he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I needed to... to..."

He trailed off. He really didn't want to tell Casey about what was happening. It would only worry her, and he didn't want that. But right now, telling her was looking like a very likely fate,

"Let me guess." she said, screwing her face up in mock thought. "You had to take care of something?"

Derek frowned, his last excuse now useless. Slowly, he nodded, a blush rising steadily in his cheeks.

"Technically, yes."

A defeated look crossed her face and, suddenly, her anger was diminished slightly, being replaced with fear, and hurt.

"You're cheating on me, aren't you, Derek?" she whispered quietly, tears filling her eyes. "I know you are."

Derek stiffened, and his eyes widened. He wasn't going to let their relationship get destroyed over cheating once again, especially since he hadn't cheated on her this time. He shook his head, gripping her chin softly.

"God no. Never, baby." he said, trying to meet her gaze, but she kept looking away. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, she did, and his heart broke when he saw a tear slide down her face. He used his thumb to wipe it away, and leaned down to kiss her lips gently.

"I'd never cheat on you; not again." he assured her, keeping her chin tilted towards him. "I love you, okay? I don't want anyone but you, and I'd certainly never want to hurt you."

She shoved his hands away from her, stepping backwards, and wiping her tears away. He groaned. He hated it when she went from emotional, to murderous in a span of two seconds. It had been like this during the pregnancy, and he'd always dreaded the times when he'd accidently say something stupid.

"Don't say you aren't cheating on me, because I happen to know that you went to California to see a girl." she said, glaring at him. She reached onto the dresser, and picked up the cordless phone, throwing it against his chest angrily.

"Caller ID, Derek. It does wonders." she snapped, the tears still escaping from her eyes. He glanced down at the last outgoing call and, indeed, there was a number listed for a Natalie Turner from the night before, with an area code for California in front of it. He sighed, placing the phone down on the nightstand next to him.

"Casey, listen to me." he said, preparing to tell her the truth. He didn't want to, but he'd rather have her stressed over Jayden than her thinking that he was cheating on her. He'd learned the consequences of that the hard way.

"Who's Natalie Turner, Derek?" Casey asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is she one of those stupid blondes you used to date? Is she someone you were seeing while we were broken up? Or is she just one of the many whores I'm sure you sleep with when you're on your so-called 'business trips'?"

Derek grabbed both of her wrists tightly in his own, afraid that she was going to accidently hurt herself with all of the flailing around she was doing.

"Stop it." he said firmly, his voice harsh. "Do you hear me? Stop it. I'm not cheating on you, and I swear to God that I haven't kissed another girl since we've been together, nor have I slept with anyone else. Just you. Only you."

She still looked completely disbelieving, but the tiniest hint of relief and hope crossed her face as her eyes locked with his.

"You promise?" she asked, sounding uncertain that she should be getting her hopes up.

He nodded, kissing her gently.

"I swear." he assured her, nodding.

"Who's Natalie Turner, then?" she asked, chewing her bottom lip nervously. "Why did you lie to me, just so you could fly out of the country to see some girl?"

"First of all, she's like... in her fifties, so you don't have anything to be worried about." he said, shuddering. "I think she's about twenty five years out of my league. Secondly, I love you, and I would never cheat on you again. And thirdly... well, I think you uh, need to take a seat."

Casey looked as though she was torn between relief and confusion as she sat down on the bed, allowing Derek to sit next to her, and slip his arm around her waist.

"I'm sitting." she pointed out, her voice shaking. "Tell me."

Derek took a deep breath.

"So, I need you to try to keep in mind that I did this for your own good." he said, trying to clear his name before he even told her. "I think I'm getting bad at that. But anyway, I've sort of been... keeping something from you and the kids."

Casey closed her eyes briefly, as though she was terrified about what he was going to say next.

"What is it, Derek?" she asked quietly, her voice sounding defeated.

Derek drew in a shaky breath, knowing that, by explaining this situation to his wife, he was basically making this a family ordeal. Things were going to get ugly between the Venturis, and Natalie Turner, and he knew that. He supposed it was only fair that Casey be informed as well.

"She wants Jayden." he said, looking right into Casey's confused and frightened eyes. "She's Jayden's biological grandmother. And she wants custody."

Casey pulled away from Derek, shaking her head frantically.

"No." she said, her face scrunched up in anger. "Absolutely not. Not going to happen."

"That's what I said to his social worker." Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair casually. "But she apparantly does have some sort of legal right to her own grandson... and she sort of told me that she's willing to take us to court over this."

Casey groaned, and buried her face into her hands, clearly frustrated.

"_Court_, Derek?" she repeated, raising her head up again. "Are we seriously going to put that poor kid through an entire battle like this?"

"Its our only option; Jay will understand that." Derek shrugged. "It's either that, or we let him go with Natalie. And I'm not about to let that happen."

"I guess you're right..." she trailed off, sighing sadly. Suddenly, another look crossed her features, and she scowled. "Wait a second, how the hell could you keep something like this from me? I'm Jayden's parent too, you know."

Derek groaned. Nothing wanted to work for him this week. He could only guess that the Gods had something against him.

"Casey, I know you're Jay's parent." he sighed. "I have been around for the past three years, you know. I just... I didn't want to worry you. And I thought this would be sorted out within a day or two. But after talking to Natalie Turner today... I'm thinking that we've got a lot more than a couple of days on our hands."

"You've got to be kidding me." she groaned, placing her head in her hands. "After everything Jay's gone through in the past few years..." she trailed off suddenly, raising her head up. "Derek, what if Jay actually wants to go with his grandmother?"

Derek shook his head confidently.

"He doesn't." he assured her. "He told me on the night of the accident that when his father died, he had been scared that he'd have to go off and live with family he never even knew. He said that this was the place he wanted to be. With me... well, now it's us."

"I just can't believe you wouldn't tell me." she snapped coldly, folding her arms across her chest and glancing away.

Derek stared at her in disbelief; now was not the time for fighting.

"Casey, really."

"Don't 'Casey, really' me, Derek Venturi." she snapped, standing up, and pressing a hand against his chest agressively. "After what we went through a few years ago, I would've thought that keeping secrets was something you'd gotten over, but I guess I was wrong."

"Casey..." he started slowly, racking his brain for something that he could say that would calm her down. "Come on, don't fight with me here. You know I hate fighting... well, unless it's just one of those stupid little fights that end in you letting me..." he trailed off, seeing the enraged look on her face. He tried to back up, but hit the wall. "Whoah..." he said, raising up a cautious hand. "Not the time, huh?"

"Does it look like the time for jokes, Derek?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, her face red with anger. Derek bit back the urge to tell her how cute she looked, and tried to focus on the conversation.

"I...I guess not." he sighed, giving up on humor. "It was an honest mistake." he tried to tell her, shrugging. "I was trying my best not to stress you out."

"You're really bad at using your judgement." she seethed, rolling her eyes at him.

"I know."

"You think it's best not to tell me that our own son may very well be taken away from us, because you don't want to stress me."

"Well it's true..."

"You thought the best thing for me three years ago would be to sleep with me, and then leave me, so that I wouldn't get hurt, even if you hurt me by leaving anyway."

"Well if you put it that way, it just makes me sound like an idiot..."

"And that's just when your sober." she laughed coldly. "Your judgement when you're drunk is a whole different story."

"Casey..." he said warningly.

"Because when you're drunk, you seem to think that trying to hook up with another girl is perfectly healthy for an engagement."

"_Casey!"_

"Wow." she marvelled, laughing coldly. "It's like you hit eighteen, and your judgement is automatically impaired. Amazing, isn't it, how a few bad decisions can give you a bit of a reputation as a jerk?"

That was what made Derek snap. He grabbed her wrists tightly, and shook his head, trying to contain his anger. They didn't need anymore of that.

"You need to stop." he said, his voice firm and harsh. "You're acting like a... like a..."

"Like a what?" she urged him, smirking suggestively. "Go on, finish that statement."

He took a deep breath, knowing that his next words could possibly result in him sleeping on the couch that night. He knew from past experience that there were certain things you didn't say to her when she was pissed off. But he had to be honest with her; she had asked for the truth.

"You're acting like a drama queen, and... forgive me... a bitch."

She stared at him, blinking a couple of times in disbelief, before smiling at him, and taking a step towards his nervous figure.

Derek gulped, knowing exactly what was coming next.

- - - - - -

_'Eh, the couch isn't so bad once you've got a comfy pillow.' _Derek thought to himself, yawning as he rolled over in the small space he had.

No sooner had this thought ran through his mind, than Casey came sauntering out into the living room, flicking on the light switch. She folded her arms across her chest, glaring around the room silently, as though looking for something.

Derek raised an eyebrow at her, squinting in the light as she strode towards him.

"Case, babe?" he asked, yawning. "What are you doing?"

She stopped in front of him, one hand on her hip defiantly. With a cruel smile on her face, she leaned down, her lips hovering teasingly over his. He bit back the urge to lean up and kiss her; her warm breath felt amazing against his lips.

Just when he thought that maybe she was going to forgive him with a kiss, she reached underneath his head and grabbed the pillow, smacking him in the face with it.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his forehead agressively. "What the hell was that for?"

She smiled coldly, tucking the pillow under her arm.

"You took my pillow." she shrugged, before turning on her heel, flicking off the light, and marching back upstairs, her hair flying behind her.

Derek huffed and rolled over, clutching the scratchy grey blanket to his chest.

"Damned estrogen." he muttered to himself, before tucking one arm under his head, and shutting his eyes, attempting sleep.

- - - - - -

Derek could feel someone pulling something over him. He groaned angrily, and attempted to fall back asleep, but the second he moved his head, pain shot through his neck, and he cursed under his breath.

"God damn neck..." he mumbled almost incoherently into the couch. He rubbed it absent mindedly, sitting up slowly to see Casey squatted by his feet, a mug in her hand. He squinted at her, before glancing at his watch, his eyes widening at the time.

"Casey, it's four thirty in the morning." he murmered, trying not to sound angry as he rubbed his neck, trying to get rid of the crick. "There had better be a good reason why you've woken me up."

Casey pouted, looking hurt.

"I came downstairs to get a glass of water, and you looked all lonely." she said, blushing. "Your blanket was on the floor and you had no pillow so... I felt bad so I covered you up and... here, drink this."

Derek took the mug from her cautiously, sniffing it's contents.

"Is it poison?" he asked fearfully.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's hot chocolate, you doof." she informed him, sounding impatient. "Now drink it."

Derek smirked, taking a sip of the substance.

"Mmm, hot chocolate always tastes better when made out of guilt." he teased, raising an eyebrow. "Especially after I just spent the night on the couch..."

"Derek..." she warned him, knowing what he was about to do.

"In the cold, dark living room."

"Derek, come on..."

"All by myself..."

"Stop it."

"Without the affection of a good woman..." he sighed sadly, taking another gulp of his hot chocolate. "I guess my wife doesn't love me anymore."

"Cut it out." she said, smiling as she smacked his shoulder. "You're being like... like... oh I don't even know. Just shut up and drink your hot chocolate."

Much to her surprise, Derek drained the last gulp then and there, placing the mug on an endtable behind him, and scooting closer to her, sitting directly in front of her.

"You know..." he started, looking thoughtful as he tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "You should go back to sleep. I don't want you being overtired in the morning."

"Yeah, I think I might." she said, yawning for emphasis. She stood up, stretching, before making her way towards the stairs.

She got halfway upstairs before she realized that Derek wasn't behind her. She stopped, and wandered down the steps again, pausing on the landing and watching him in confusion. She placed her hand on the railing, steadying herself.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Derek smirked, and shook his head to indiicate that he wasn't going with her.

"Nuh-uh." he said, trying his best to frown. "I feel unloved up there. At least down here I've got the scratchy blanket... and the cold... and the crick in my neck to keep my company..."

Casey only stared at him for another quick moment, before rolling her eyes, and crossing the room, practically whipping the blanket off of his body. She grabbed his hand, and hauled her up with him.

"You're such a dork." she muttered, attempting to drag him up the stairs.

He smirked, and pulled her back a little, pinning her body up against the wall and holding her steady with his knee. He ran a hand through her hair and, before she could object, he had leaned in and captured her lips with his, allowing his hands to grip her waist lightly. He knew that a small part of her was considering pushing him away and going to bed, but for once she gave in to his untimely manner and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck carefully. He couldn't help but pull her tighter, wanting to feel her against him even more, but she laughed, pulling away again.

He shot her a confused look, and she grinned, causing hope to flutter through Derek.

"Not here." she said, shaking her head. Before he could question it, she had rushed on.

"Upstairs." she said, kissing him quickly on the lips. "Now."

He knew what she meant by that. He smirked, pressing his forehead up against hers.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" he asked, raising an eyebrow hopefully, already knowing the answer.

She laughed, and kissed him again, letting her lips linger over his for a moment longer than they had in their last kiss.

"Upstairs." she repeated, before grabbing his hand, and pulling him towards their bedroom quickly, shutting the door quietly behind them.

Needless to say, he didn't put up much of an argument after that. He was just a man, after all.

* * *

**So Jayden still doesn't know about any of this. Probably not a real great thing to keep from your kid, I guess. Anyway, review; and expect more soon. **


	5. A Stressful Day

**This chapter is short, but is important. Read and review. **

**Disclaimer: I can keep hoping that someday I'll wake up to the rights of Life With Derek, but deep down, I know it'll never be mine. So sad.**

**Chapter Five: Stressful Days**

By twelve o'clock on Monday afternoon, Casey was seriously considering returning to her old office career, for the sole purpose of having a few hours away from children.

Jeff, although normally a well behaved toddler, had his bad days like everyone else. Today was one of them. So far, he had managed to break a glass dish, haul all of the eating utensils out of the drawer, spill Kool-Aid on his bedroom floor, and had prevented Casey from writing so much as a page for work.

Between Jeff's bad behaviour, her splitting headache, and the fact that she was worried sick about the Jayden situation, her day was not off to a good start.

"Mommy?" came Jeff's voice from upstairs, sounding whiny, yet innocent.

Casey groaned, and placed her head in her hands in frustration. She stared at the computer screen in front of her, noting that she only had two paragraphs of her most recent piece completed, and deciding to just give up until after lunch. Jeff went down for a nap everyday at two, and she figured she could squeeze in some work then.

"I give up." she muttered into her hands, groaning as the phone next to her desk began to ring.

She snatched it up, glaring at the wall angrily.

"_Hello_?" she bit out, a little more harshly than originally intended.

"Oh, someone's edgy." came Derek's amused voice. "Feminine troubles?"

"Shut up, Derek." she seethed, turning off the computer screen and sitting back in her office chair. "I'm having a rough day."

"What's up?" he asked curiously, apparantly sensing her hostility. "You okay?"

"Your son is pushing the limits here today." she informed him through gritted teeth.

"_My_ son, eh?" he repeated, chuckling. "What, are you ceasing all claims on the poor kid?"

"No." she sighed, running a tired hand through her hair. "But when he acts like this, he is truly your son."

"He loves anoying his mother, just like me." Derek said proudly, and it wasn't hard to tell he was grinning. "Don't be mad. You should be proud, Case. Annoying you can be a hard skill to master."

"Great, I'm glad to hear there's a whole skill devoted to pissing me off."

Derek laughed again, but clearly decided that it would be best to change the topic.

"Anyway, I'm on lunch break." he sighed. "I just wanted to check in on you."

Casey smiled to herself. He was such a softie, even if he'd never admit it.

"I'm a big girl, Der." she reminded him. "I can take care of myself."

"Maybe." he said slowly. "But you love talking to me anyway; you know it."

Casey was just about to make some sort of sarcastic remark when she heard a door slamming upstairs.

She groaned, and rolled her eyes, figuring that Jeff was attempting to get to the swingset in the backyard by himself again. She wasn't too worried. Jeff was a smart kid, and knew better than to wander anywhere near the road. Nonetheless, she didn't want him outside by himself, so she knew that she should go and get him.

Reminding herself to buy a more foolproof babygate, she pushed back her chair and stood up again.

"I've got to go." she informed her husband. "Your son is causing some sort of mischief again."

"He's doing his father proud." Derek said happily. "Never try to outsmart a Venturi boy, Casey."

She rolled her eyes, and he continued.

"I'll let you go deal with him." he said. "I'll see you tonight. Love you, baby."

"Love you too." she said quickly, hearing footsteps in the room above her and relaxing. "See you tonight."

With that, she hung up the phone, and turned towards her office door, wrenching it open to find herself face to face with a teary eyed Jayden.

She squinted in confusion.

"Jay?" she asked, confused. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at-"

"You lied to me." he choked out, tears falling freely from his eyes. "You _lied_ to me! Both of you."

"Jay... what-" she started, but he cut her off, shaking violently.

"You don't even want me here!" he sobbed. "No one wants me here! Y-You d-don't..."

"Jayden, you're going to have to calm down, hon. I can't even figure out what you're saying." Casey said, panicking.

He broke down completely then, and Casey tried to pull him into a hug, but he shoved her away from him.

Casey winced, confused.

"Jayden!" she cried, worried now. "Jay, what's wrong, baby? What happened?"

She seized both of his wrists gently, but urgently, and pulled him closer, kneeling down to eye level with him.

"Look at me, Jay." she demanded, her voice laced with concern and urgency.

Reluctantly, he did, though tears continued to fall from his eyes, and his body continued to shake. She placed both of her hands on his shoulders to try and steady him.

"You're going to have to calm down and take a couple of deep breaths." she instructed him as calmly as possible.

He still appeared to be upset with her, but he did as she said, the actions calming him slightly. The shaking was still present, but his tears were reduced significantly.

Casey noticed, and gave him a concerned look.

"Now tell me why you're so upset."

He drew in a couple of shaky breaths, shuddering slightly.

"Th-The kids in m-my class... they... some of their p-parents heard that you're g-getting rid of me." he choked out. "They said that you and D-Derek... you're making me go and live with... with my g-grandmother."

Casey's heart dropped, and she instantly softened.

"Oh Jayden..." she breathed out sympathetically.

He glared at her, shaking his head.

"You guys lied to me." he stammered. "You told me you were going to adopt me, and that I could stay with you. But you're not going to, are you?"

"Jayden-"

"_Are you_?" he repeated angrily.

Casey glanced away for a moment, racking her brain for the best way to explain the situation to an eleven year old.

Jayden's eyes widened as he recognized her silence, and his face fell even further.

"It's true, isn't it?" he said, his voice below a whisper.

Casey's eyes raised to meet his, and she gave her son an apologetic look, one that Jayden recognized immediately.

"Oh God..." he got out, cringing.

"Derek and I don't want you to go anywhere, Jay." she assured him softly, gripping his shoulder. Trust me on this; we really don't. If it were up to us, the adoption would be finalized as quickly as possible; I promise."

Jayden bit his lip, looking fairly hesitant to believe what she was saying.

"What's the problem, then?" he asked, confusion etched clearly across his face.

"Me and Derek love you very much." she said, smiling softly at him as she took a seat in her chair, and let him sit on top of her desk. He swung his feet carelessly as he waited for her to continue.

Clearing her throat, she went on.

"As I said, we love you a whole lot, and despite what anyone says or thinks, you're our son. We're your parents, no matter what happens. Do you understand that?"

Jayden nodded, looking slightly relieved under the knowledge that he was really loved by his family.

"I don't... I don't understand why... why you're making me leave." he said, hurt clear in his tone.

Casey winced; it was never pleasant to know that your child was hurting because of something they thought you'd done.

"We aren't making you leave, Jay." she said gently, shaking her head. "Derek tried to get the adoption started a few days ago and... you remember your social worker, Mr.Easton?"

Jayden nodded.

"Well he... um... he informed Derek that your grandmother...Natalie Turner, you remember her? She's your birth mother's mother."

Jayden's eyebrows scrunched together for a moment as he thought about it, but then he shook his head.

"Not really." he admitted. "I only got to meet her six times, and one of those times was at the funeral."

Casey's insides fumed. Why the hell would someone who barely knew the kid want to take him out of his well adjusted home, away from people who really loved him? It just didn't make any sense to her.

She cleared her throat, attempting to gather her thoughts.

"She's asked for custody of you, Jay." she explained slowly, letting out a patient breath. "When Derek's temporary gaurdianship on you runs out, she wants you to go and live with her in California."

Jayden was silent for a moment. He had stopped swinging his feet, and he didn't even bother to brush away the stray piece of sandy brown hair that had fallen in front of his eyes.

Casey allowed him to let this information sink in, remembering that this might be best.

Finally, he swallowed hard and glanced back up at Casey, his eyes still confused.

"So you're just going to _let_ her take me?" he asked, hurt lingering in his voice.

Casey shook her head quickly, not wanting Jayden to get the wrong idea.

"Jayden-" she startedm but his anger was getting the better of him again.

"You're not going to do anything about this?" he cried, his voice shaking. "You guys are just going to... forget about me?"

"Jayden, stop it." she said firmly, giving him a stern look. "You knows that we could never, _ever_ forget about you. We love you. You're our son. And we aren't just going to let your grandmother take you away, okay?"

Hope flickered across Jayden's face, and he straightened up, fully alert.

"So... what are you going to do about it?" he asked curiously.

Casey bit her lip hesitantly, taking a deep breath.

"There's only one thing we can do." she sighed, stressed.

Jayden waited expectantly, watching her with apprehension.

"We can go to court over it." she said simply, fully expecting Jayden to reject the idea.

But much to her surprise, he rushed into an answer.

"I'll do it." he said quickly, looking quite determined. "I'll go to court."

Casey, who was taken aback by his confidence and his agreement to the inevitable, raised an eyebrow, and thought carefully about what she was going to say next.

Finally, she spoke up again.

"Jay... are you... are you sure?" she asked. "It'll be stressful, and time consuming, and-"

"Are you willing to do it?" he asked, sounding worried. "If we have to, are you guys going to do it?"

Casey didn't even have to think about it. She stood up, nodding.

"Absolutely." she told him confidently. "Anything it takes to keep you here... we'll do it."

Jayden looked entirely relieved, and he slid off of the desk, surprising Casey by hugging her tightly around the waist, burying his face against her arm. She smiled, and hugged him back, kneeling down to his level.

"We're going to try our best, Jayden." she assured him, not wanting to give him any false hopes. "I can't make any promises to you, because I've never gone through something like this. I know that judges can often rule in favor of a biological family."

"But I'm happy here." he reminded her, pulling back. She kept one hand on his shoulder, and reached the other one up to dry the tears off of his cheeks. "I want to stay with you and Derek and Jeff. I love it here. You're not my biological family but you're still my Mom and Dad... and my brother."

Casey's heart warmed at his words. Even though she already knew this was true, she always loved to hear him refer to them as his parents. He still called them Derek and Casey, but he always referred to them as his parents, and introduced them as his mother and father. It was a quietly accepted understanding that they were all family, and they all knew it.

"I know you're happy, bud." she said, smiling sadly. "We're happy too. But I can't make any promises on what anyone can promise us. Your grandmother... Derek tells me she's got a lot of money-"

"I don't need money."

"And she's really proper."

"I hate proper."

"She's strongheaded."

"Have you met Derek?"

"And she knows how to argue."

"And you don't?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Please. I've lived here long enough to know that you and Derek can argue for five hours about the color co-ordination of a sock drawer. I think you can argue just as well as she can."

Casey considered arguing with him about the sock drawer, but knew that there was no point to it. Jayden and Derek had effectively talked her out of organizing their drawers by color a year ago, and she didn't want to go down that road again.

"We'll try our best, kiddo." she assured him, ruffling his hair. "Nobody is going to take you from us without a good fight."

Jayden looked up at her, his eyes nervous and worried.

"You promise?"

She smiled, brushing his hair off of his face.

"I swear."

* * *

**So you can clearly see how Jayden and Casey's bond has grown over the three years they've lived together, which was something that hadn't been shown much yet in this story. Anyway, review please. :) More should come soon.**


	6. A History of Dysfunction

**I'm glad some of this is pre-written, because school is driving me insane, ugh! Anyways, Derek may seem a little OOC, but he's twenty eight now, and having kids probably calmed him down a bit, I would hope. Anyways, thanks for the reviews I've been getting, and please continue to leave some. They make my day :) **

**Disclaimer: No big break has occured in the past two days. I still have no rights to 'Life With Derek'.**

**Chapter Six: A History of Dysfunction**

Derek got home at around five thirty that night, after stopping into the rink after work long enough to have a quick game of hockey with a couple of his friends.

He came in through the front door, dropping his hockey bag on the floor.

Shrugging out of his jacket, he tossed it onto the coat rack and made his way into the kitchen, hoping to find Casey.

Instead, he found Jayden, who was standing in front of an open fridge, staring into it as though something new would appear there at any given second. Derek raised an eyebrow, curious.

"You know, staring into the fridge doesn't jumpstart a miraculous apparation."

Jayden turned around to see who had been talking to him, and he instantly scowled, before slamming the fridge door shut and hoisting himself up onto the counter.

Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Is Casey's bad mood contagious?" he asked, wondering why Jayden was suddenly angry with him.

"Why didn't you tell me that my grandmother wants custody?" he asked instantly, giving Derek a searching look.

Derek stared at him, his mouth opening and closing pointlessly.

"Wh- I... we...huh?" he asked, unsure of how Jayden had figured out what was going on. "How did you..."

"Casey told me." Jayden shrugged, grabbing a package of cookies off of the shelf next to him, and fishing one out. "Some kids at school heard their parents talking about it, and then they asked me about it. I came home and asked Casey, and she told me everything."

"Girls." Derek muttered, rolling his eyes. "Can't keep anything a secret."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jayden asked, ignoring Derek's comment. "I deserve to know."

"I didn't want to worry you." Derek said, taking a few steps towards Jayden. "This isn't your problem, Jay. It's something that us adults have to work out."

"This isn't my _problem_?" Jayden repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Derek, this is my _life_! It's not exactly something I want to be left in the dark about. When something is going on concerning me, I want to know about it."

"You and Casey are too much alike." Derek mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He sighed. "Jay, listen. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You're right, I should have."

"Yeah, you really should've." Jayden snapped, before tossing the package of cookies violently onto the counter behind him.

He jumped to his feet, and stormed off, his footsteps retreating upstairs loudly.

Derek looked from the stairs, to the package of cookies on the counter, where there was no doubt nothing but crumbs remaining.

"Don't throw good cookies around like that." he called after Jayden. "They have feelings too, you know."

His only answer was the slamming of a bedroom door, and then silence.

- - - - -

"I'm telling you, the woman is a nightmare." Derek argued into the phone, pressing the palms of his hands against his face as he attempted to cradle the phone between his cheek and shoulder. "She's so critical, I just wanted to..."

Derek trailed off, not wanting to finish that statement.

"Never mind." he said, grasping the phone with one hand and running the other through his hair. "Point is, I really don't think she should get custody of Jayden. She's the most anti-social person I've ever met."

"Ms.Turner may have some... strongly held opinions and beliefs, but that would not reflect her parenting skills in any way. Trust me, Mr.Venturi. I've dealt with cases like this before. I know the type of home she can-"

"You know the cases, I know the kid." Derek argued, cutting Mr.Easton off again. "Jayden needs stability. Do you know how much he's been through in his life? I mean, he never knew his mother, his father struggled so hard to make ends meet, and then his Dad died. And the past few years have just been crazy, what with moving in with me, the accident, the baby, the wedding... he's just now feeling secure again. And you're telling me you want to take him and move him to somewhere he doesn't want to be?"

"You don't know that he doesn't want to-"

"He told my wife that he didn't want to go." Derek pointed out, feeling some level of superiority over Natalie Turner. "He came home from school crying because he'd heard that he had to move, and he didn't want to."

"You didn't tell Jayden about the custody issue?" Mr.Eason asked, sounding somewhat apprehensive.

Derek felt his heart drop, and he tried to stammer out something comprehensible.

"Well... I, uh... you see..."

"You shouldn't have kept a secret like this from a child, Mr.Venturi." Mr.Easton said, sounding ashamed of Derek. "He deserves to be informed of what's going on in-"

"He's under my care, and I can decide what's best for him, thanks." Derek snapped, not appreciating the man's scornful tone.

There was silence on the other line, and Derek instantly realized his mistake.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he said, though he really wasn't. "I'm just stressed out and... I did what I thought was best."

"Apology accepted." the man said. "Natalie Turner wants to end this argument as quickly as possible, and that means she wants to get it started soon. You've got about twenty days of temporary gaurdianship left on Jayden, so she can't take him until then anyway."

Derek relaxed a tiny bit. Twenty days. He had twenty days to figure out this mess, and come up with a way to keep Jayden at home, where he belonged.

He barely noticed Casey come into the room and close the door, watching him with curiousity.

"Who's that?" she whispered gently, but he shook his head, indicating for her to be quiet.

"What about when the twenty days are up?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What happens then?"

"Well," Mr.Easton started, as Casey perched herself on the edge of Derek's chair and gently rubbed his shoulders as he talked. "She can take you two to court for custody."

"And how much of a chance do we have of..."

"Of winning?" Mr.Easton asked knowingly.

"Er, yeah." Derek said, grasping one of Casey's hands with his own. "Of winning."

Mr.Easton sighed.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you, honestly." the man said, sounding articulately sorry. "It depends on how everything plays out. I mean, the fact that Jayden doesn't really want to go could factor into it somewhere... but I've dealt with plenty of other kids who haven't wanted to go to the homes they ended up in... and they adjusted. Most of them do quite well."

Derek's heart dropped at the idea of Jayden moving off, adjusting to life with his grandmother, and forgetting all about his family. His real family. He gave a stressful sigh, and Casey, sensing his distress, leaned down and pressed her lips to the base of his neck, trailing kisses all along the back of his neck. He shuddered, and a slight smile crept to his lips as he attempted to stay focused.

He turned around, grinning at her.

_'Not now._' he mouthed to her. She raised an eyebrow, but returned to massaging his shoulders as she had been doing before.

Trying to gather his thoughts, Derek turned back to the phone.

"Uh, well... so where does this start?" he asked, trying his best to keep his voice steady. His skin was still tingling from the feeling of Casey's lips against it. "What do we have to do?"

"Ms.Turner mentioned to me the other day that she's flying into Canada this week so that we can get this whole thing straightened out. She wants to spend some time with her grandson, if that's okay with-"

"What, it's not enough that she wants to take him from us for good, now she wants to intrude on the little bit of gauranteed time we do have with him, too? How is that fair?"

"Jayden needs to get acquainted with his grandmother before this trial." Mr.Easton explained calmly. "It's only fair that he understand that his grandmother isn't a horrible person for trying to take him away. Once he spends some time with her, maybe he'll see she isn't such a bad person."

Derek's heart clenched, and he frowned.

"And that's supposed to make me feel reassured?" Derek asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why would him being closer to his grandmother help me at all?"

Mr.Easton sighed.

"It's only fair, Mr.Venturi." he said calmly. "Jayden is currently biased towards you and your wife. If it was the other way around, you'd want a fair shot..." he trailed off for a moment, apparantly thinking. "And besides, if Jayden does end up going with Ms.Turner, it'll be better if he's gotten to know her a little bit first."

These words were hard for Derek to hear, but he tried to see it through Mr.Easton's point of view. He did understand that Natalie spending some time with Jayden was the fair thing to do, and Derek knew that if, by chance, Jayden ended up moving to California, it'd be better for him to know his grandmother a little bit beforehand.

He sighed reluctantly.

"You're right, I guess." he said, rubbing his temple in frustration. "When does she get here?"

"Three days." Mr.Easton said. "I expect you to tell Jayden about this beforehand. It might help to mention that Ms.Turner has offered to take your family out to lunch on the day she arrives. She said she'd like to get acquainted with all of you."

Derek raised an eyebrow, knowing that the very last thing Natalie Turner wanted was to bond with the Venturi family. She just wanted to come off as this sweet and innocent old lady who was clearly trying her best to get along with everyone, and gain custody of her one and only grandson in the process. Derek could see right through her lies. She just wanted the reputation of being kind, along with the chance to observe the Venturi family, and find any weaknesses that she could expose against them in court.

Derek made a mental note to make sure his family was on their best behaviour whenever Natalie Turner was around.

The thought nearly made him laugh. His family,_ behaving? _That was a new theory.

"Well tell her we'd be glad to go to lunch with her." Derek said, a smirk on his face. Two could play at this game. "Call me when you know the details. We'll even pick her up at the airport, if she'd like."

"That won't be necessary." Mr.Easton chuckled to himself. "I'm picking her up at the airport. She's got to drop by my office and fill out a couple of forms, and I'd be more than glad to drop her off at your place afterwards."

"Great." Derek said, rolling his eyes. "Call me as soon as you figure everything out. Thank you."

With that he hung up, and turned to Casey, twenty different emotions flashing across his features at once.

She gave him an inquizzative look, clearly not understanding the conversation that Derek had just had.

"Twenty days." he said simply, breathing in patiently. "We've got twenty more gauranteed days with Jayden. After that, it's all up to the courts."

Casey cringed, and slid down onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck gently.

"This is going to be hard." she said, pressing her forehead against his.

"Mmm, I know." he murmered, pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth gently.

"There's going to be a lot of arguing."

"I'm used to arguing." he said pointedly, raising an eyebrow, and kissing her quickly.

"We're going to have to try everything we can think of." she said slowly, nuzzling his nose gently with hers. "We'll have to think of every little loophole."

"We're good at thinking." he reminded her, then paused. "Well, you are anyway..."

"And in the end..." she said, gulping nervously. "-we might still lose our son."

Derek was silent, his heart skipping a beat. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to let her words sink into his mind, and accept them. But he couldn't.

"I don't know how to accept that." he admitted, placing his hands on her hips gently. "And I don't think I ever will."

Before Casey could answer, there was a knock on the doorframe, and Derek glanced over Casey's shoulder to see Jayden standing in their doorway, looking fairly nervous.

"Derek?" he called, playing with the a couple of loose ends on the sleeves of his oversized hoodie. "I need to talk to you. Oh, and Casey, Jeff is calling out to you."

"I just put him to bed." Casey groaned, pressing her forehead against Derek's.

Jayden shrugged.

"Fine." she mumbled, giving Derek a quick kiss on the cheek and darting out of their bedroom, ruffling Jayden's hair along the way.

Jayden stood in the doorway for a moment, shuffling his feet nervously.

"Well this has been a very interesting talk, Jay." Derek observed, leaning back in his chair. "But if this is the extent of our little chat, I might just go downstairs and stare at a wall. Or eat those cookies you abused earlier, which by the way, I'm mad at you for."

Jayden rolled his eyes and stepped into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

He made his way to the bed, and perched himself on the edge of it, his eyes darting around madly. Derek could tell that he was trying to look anywhere but at Derek.

"You're killing my self confidence here." he noted, frowning. "Is my face that hideous, that you can't even look at it?"

Jayden's eyes snapped over to meet his, and he grinned sheepishly.

"No." he sighed, his eyes locked with Derek's. "It's just that... I wanted to apologize."

"For what?" Derek asked, propping his elbow up on his chair. "Destroying the poor, innocent cookies? Don't apologize to me, apologize to those poor chocolate chips without a mother."

"_Derek_!" Jayden cried, half laughing, half frustrated. "I'm trying to say that I'm sorry for getting mad at you earlier. I mean, you should've told me about the custody thing... but I should've tried to... I dunno, see it from your side of the story."

Derek turned serious at once, knowing that there was a time for jokes, and a time for serious conversation.

"lt's okay, bud." he assured him, waving a hand dismissively. "Casey kind of had a similar reaction. I didn't tell her either."

"You didn't?" Jay asked, his mouth hanging open in shock. "How come?"

Derek shrugged.

"Same reason I didn't tell you." he offered. "I thought I could work everything out by going to California to talk to your grandmother, but I-"

"You went to California?" Jayden cried, looking as though he couldn't take anymore news. "When did you..." he trailed off for a moment. "-oh."

"Yeah." Derek said, knowing that Jayden had just understood.

"What was she like to you?" Jayden asked, leaning back on his elbows. "Was she mean?"

Derek knew that he could make Natalie out to seem worse than she really had been, but he knew that would be wrong, and besides, it wasn't like he needed to lie much.

"Um..." he said slowly, struggling to think of an answer. "She's very... proper."

"That's what Casey said." Jayden noted, biting his lip. "But is she nice?"

Derek glanced up into Jayden's eyes then, and noticed the fear that was evident there. He knew then why Jayden was asking these questions. He was scared that he'd have to live with someone horrible.

Derek sighed, and shook his head.

"I don't know her well enough to judge." he admitted, smiling sadly. "You might like her. And, um, she's coming to Canada in three days-"

Jayden's eyes flashed with fear.

"-to spend some time with you." he finished, noticing that Jayden relaxed under the knowledge that nobody was coming to take him for good just yet. "Me and Casey and Jeff will be going out to lunch with youguys on the first day, but she'll probably want some time alone with you, by herself."

Jayden pouted.

"How come?" he asked, clearly disapproving of this idea. "I don't want to."

"You've got to, buddy." he explained. "Trust me, I don't like it either, but your social worker wants you to spend some time with her so that the case is fair, and so that... if you _do_ have to go and live with her, and I'm not saying you will, you'll have a sense of what she's like."

Jayden bit his lower lip, nodding slowly.

"So will you do this for me?" Derek asked, standing up to sit on the bed next to Jayden. "I need you to be on your best behaviour in front of your grandmother; I don't need her thinking that we raised you to be rude, okay? That won't help us in court."

Jayden thought for a moment, but then nodded, a half smile on his lips.

"I'll behave." he assured Derek, sounding reluctant. "This is all sorta scary, Derek."

Derek's heart broke for the kid, but he did his best to smile as he placed an arm around Jayden's shoulders.

"Listen to me." he said, grinning at the kid who was staring at him with obvious interest. "Dysfunction has been a part of this family since the day me and Casey got married..." he trailed off for a moment, thinking hard. "...or maybe it was the day Casey was born, I'm not sure. I haven't figured that out yet."

A small laugh escaped Jayden's lips, and Derek smiled at the obvious fact that he was cheering up.

"My point-" he said, sighing. "-is that we've been dealing with difficulty and complication in this family for a long, long time, but we've gotten through it all. Venturis are fighters."

Jayden grinned.

"And I'm a Venturi, right?"

Derek smiled a real, genuine smile, giving Jayden a shoulder bump.

"You sure are." he assured him, the smile never once leaving his face.

Jayden laughed.

"I'm glad to hear it."

* * *

**So there we go. Please review, and more should come soon. **


	7. Questioning

**Here is chapter seven. Enjoy. There is a lot more Jayden in this chapter, and Cole, Kallie, Mr.Easton and Jeff will also be in this chapter. The OC's must be loved too. I've been neglecting them lately. Thanks for reviewing :) **

**Disclaimer: I still don't own it -sadness-**

**Chapter Seven: Questioning**

"What's the emergency?" Cole asked, panting desperately for air. He glanced around the room nervously, as though counting heads to make sure everyone was there. "Who died?"

"Cole, catch your breath." Kallie laughed, placing a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder reassuringly. She glanced up at her friends as Cole practically collapsed facefirst into the counter. "Seriously though, what's wrong?"

"We need a lawyer." Derek said quickly, kneeling down to rest his chin on the edge of the counter, staring straight at Cole. "Hey, faint later, help now. We need a lawyer, not a hobo."

"_Derek_!" Casey hissed, smacking his shoulder. "Don't call him a hobo, thank you very much."

"Well then he should get up." Derek grumbled, poking Cole agressively in the side of the head. "You. Lazy. _Up_!"

"_What?" _Cole snapped, his face blood red. "Do you realize that I shaved, got changed, and got here in fifteen minutes. And our new place is a twenty minute drive in itself. And it's nine in the morning, couldn't this have waited?"

Derek shrugged.

"I wanted to get this over with before the kids got up." he dismissed, shaking his head. "Jayden doesn't have school today because of a Professional Development Day of some sort so... he's sleeping in a bit."

"Whatever." Cole grumbled, propping his head up on the counter lazily. "What do you want? I was enjoying the first day of my week off, until some interfering couple got in my-"

"Cole," Kallie warned.

"Never mind." he sighed, standing up straight. "What did Derek do?"

Both girls looked from Cole to Derek, twin looks of confusion plastered across their faces.

"What makes you think Derek did something?" Casey asked, clearly not grasping what Cole was trying to imply.

Cole shrugged.

"Well you need a lawyer, and Derek's the troublemaker out of the two of you, so I just assumed-"

"I never did anything!" Derek cried, smacking Cole's arm pointedly. "...yet." he finished, narrowing his eyes at him. "Anyway, we need a lawyer for Jayden."

Cole's face paled, and his eyes widened.

"Jayden?" he repeated, sounding worried. "Criminals just get younger and younger these days. What did he do?"

"Jayden isn't a criminal, thank you very much." Casey said, rolling her eyes. "Sit down, this could take a little wihile to explain."

So the four of them sat around the kitchen table, and Derek and Casey took turns telling their friends the whole ugly story. By the time they were finished, both of their friends were staring at them with twin looks of disgust, shock, and horror. Kallie's look was slightly more sympathetic, whereas Cole's was more angry.

"How dare she?" Cole spat out, clearly by this. "Jayden's... after everything he's been through in his life... you guys deserve... this isn't right, not at all."

"I know, Cole." Casey said, shaking her head sadly. "But there isn't much we can do about it, other than fight as hard as we possibly can. And it might really help if we've got a good lawyer. We were going to go to George... but it might be a little weird, having Jayden's adoptive-grandfather fighting against his biological grandmother. I mean, you've still got an emotional attachment to the case, but it won't seem as bad to the courts, this way. So... will you do it?"

Cole didn't even give the matter anymore thought. He nodded his head, reaching across the table and giving Casey's hand a comforting squeeze.

"Of course I will, Case." he assured her. "You guys are my best friends, and I know how much Jayden means to you. I'll do whatever it takes..."

As they all stood up again, Casey rushed to Cole, throwing her arms around his neck in a grateful hug. If it was any other guy that had his arms wrapped around Casey's waist like that, Derek would flatten them into the ground. But it was Cole, and Derek didn't get jealous over Cole. He understood that they were best friends, and had a very strong connection that could not easily be broken. And Derek honestly had no problem with that. He knew that they were nothing more than friends.

"Morning Casey, Derek..." came a voice from the far right side of the kitchen as Jayden entered the room in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He glanced up, freezing mid-step. "Er, morning Kallie, Cole..."

"Jay," Kallie said, smiling at him. "Brighten up, you look absolutely horrible. I'll make you pancakes."

Jayden raised an eyebrow, watching her as she darted towards the stove frantically.

"I don't know how to respond to that." he mumbled, yawning. "But I'll just keep quiet until I get my pancakes."

"Jayden, use your manners, say thank you." Casey said, ushering her son into the nearest chair before rushing to help Kallie with the pancakes.

"She said I looked horrible." he pouted, folding his arms across his chest.

"And she was right." Casey shrugged. "You're like Derek. You don't run a brush through your hair before you come downstairs in the morning."

Derek began to nod in agreement, something he had learned to do when Casey was rambling, but then he realized what she had said, and scowled angrily.

"Hey!" he cried, glaring at her. "You told me I looked cute when I don't comb my hair in the mornings!"

Casey shrugged as she retrieved a box of chocolate chips from the top shelf of the cupboard.

"Simple explanation." she said. "I lied."

Derek's mouth hung open for a moment, before he scowled and took a seat at the table across from Jayden, looking equally as put out.

"I'm going to sit here and ignore you, now." he decided, hoping it would sway her. "Clearly, us men aren't as appreciated as we thought we were."

Cole, who was sitting on the counter and attempting to swipe fingerfuls of pancake batter from the bowl, glanced over at Derek, and shrugged.

"I'm not underappreciated." he said happily, taking another swipe of batter from the bowl in Kallie's hands. "My woman loves me."

Kallie took a fingerful of batter, and smeared it across Cole's cheek pointedly. He blinked a couple of times, swiping his hand across his face to clear up the mess.

"Not if you don't start behaving better, I won't." she scowled, passing the bowl to Casey so that her boyfriend couldn't take anymore of it, or retaliate and start a food-fight. "And here's a little tip for you; your hair isn't much better first thing in the morning, hot shot. Now go sit down with them and behave yourself."

Cole blinked at her a couple of times in surprise, before scowling, and joining the other two males at the kitchen table.

"Underappreciated." he murmered, as they all shook their heads in dismay at the two girls. "Definitely underappreciated."

- - - -

"Jeff, you've seriously got to stop taking my stuff!"

"Mine!"

"Jeff, I'm serious. I need that back to do my homework."

"Mine!"

"Derek! He won't give me back my calculator."

"Can't talk, hockey." Derek said, concentrating hard on the TV screen.

"Derek!" Casey scolded, reaching behind her to slap his shoulder, seeing as she was lying against him on the couch, reading a book. "Go help him."

Derek groaned, tilting his head back in frustration.

"Jeff!" he called out, sounding completely unenthusiastic. "Give Jayden back his... whatever."

"Calculator." Jayden said, frowning at Derek.

"Calculator." Derek dismissed with a wave of the hand.

Jayden rolled his eyes and stormed off after Jeff, attempting to find the kid. He couldn't leave him alone for two seconds and he'd be gone off with something of his. It was annoying really, but Jayden loved having a younger brother. When his mother had died at a younger age, he'd been almost certain that he'd never have a brother or sister, seeing as his father would never have settled for anyone else, but now he did, and despite the trouble that Jeff often caused, he wouldn't want it any other way.

He made his way up the stairs, peering into every corner along the way to make sure that Jeff wasn't hiding anywhere.

Finally, he noticed that his own bedroom door had was open a tiny crack, and he grinned, rolling his eyes. Jeff always seemed to forget that Jayden always closed his bedroom door when he wasn't there. He crept towards his bedroom slowly, pushing the door open all the way. He instantly saw the tips of Jeff's fingers poking out from underneath the bed, and he closed his door behind him, making his way towards the middle of the room.

He stood there, looking around in mock oblivion.

"I guess Jeff's finally outsmarted me." he sighed sadly, ignoring the giggle from underneath his bed. "Which means I can't do my homework..." he trailed off for a moment, in mock thought. "...unless I get out my other calculator, under my bed..." he grinned, creeping closer and closer to his bed. "Or maybe...I could just use..."

Jayden pounced towards the crack under his bed, grabbing Jeff around the waist, and pulling him out next to him.

"-this one!" he finished, grabbing his calculator from Jeff's hands. Jeff laughed, and reached for the object, but did not succeed.

"Thanks, bud." he grinned, rolling onto his back and clutching the calculator underneath him tightly. "Glad you learned to co-operate."

Jeff scowled, trying desperately to get it back, but it was no use. He flopped down onto his stomach, watching Jayden curiously.

"Snakes?" he said suggestively.

Jayden shook his head, knowing exactly what Jeff wanted, but not really in the mood to do it.

"Can't play Snakes and Ladders right now, bro." he said, ruffling Jeff's hair. "I have homework."

Jeff frowned, clearly disappointed.

"Before bed, okay?" he said, holding his hand out for a high five. "I promise."

Jeff grinned, and high fived him. The two of them had a couple of secret handshakes, none of them very complex, seeing as Jeff was only two, and often needed to be reminded of the movements. Usually, they stuck with a normal high five.

He rolled onto his stomach again, storing his calculator in his back pocket and sighing.

"Go ask Mom to play with you." he suggested, knowing that Casey could never say no to one of Jeff's pleading faces. "I'm sure she'll play with you until I'm done. Okay?"

Jeff nodded, and stumbled onto his feet, making his way towards the door. Jayden laughed, and grabbed his notebook off of his bed, opening it up in front of him and preparing to start his first question.

Just as his pencil touched the paper, Jeff's tiny voice piped up from the other side of the room, sounding worried.

"You leaving?" he asked curiously, his tiny hand gripping the edge of the door.

Jayden turned around slowly and looked at his younger brother's saddened expression. He realized that Derek and Casey must have briefly explained the situation to Jeff. But it was clear that he didn't understand.

He knew he could easily lie, and tell Jeff that he wasn't going anywhere. But he knew that if he did that, he'd be the world's biggest hypocrite. He didn't want to lie to Jeff when he'd gotten mad at Derek the night before for lying to him. That just wasn't right.

He pulled himself up onto his knees and motioned for Jeff to come stand in front of him.

He did so, and Jayden gave him a serious look.

"I don't want to leave, okay?" he explained, trying to make his words easy to follow. "I want to stay here with you, and Mom and Dad. And I might be able to."

Jeff bit his lower lip, nodding as though he understood, but Jayden could tell that he really didn't. He was trying to explain it in the best way possible, but he knew that Jeff had no real understanding that Jayden wasn't Derek and Casey's biological son. That was something that they had never bothered to explain in detail to him, something that they knew he would figure out as he grew older. They didn't hide it from him, exactly. Jayden called them 'Derek and Casey' all of the time in Jeff's presence, but always referred to them as 'Mom and Dad' when speaking directly to Jeff, to avoid any real confusion. But trying to explain that his real grandmother wanted to take him away would be really hard, and Jayden knew that he'd never fully comprehend what was happening.

"I won't leave unless I've got to, okay?" he assured him, grinning. "I promise."

Young and innocent, Jeff saw nothing wrong with this answer, and merely grinned, before running off to ask his mother to play 'Snakes and Ladders' with him. He had no real understanding that Jayden really had little say in whether he stayed or not.

Jayden stood up and collapsed onto his bed, lying flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. He was in no mood to do math anymore, not at all.

Before he could do anything, Derek appeared in his doorway again.

"I forgot to mention something to you." he said, striding into Jayden's room and taking a seat at his computer chair. "Cole is our lawyer. He's going to try and win this case for us. So I need you to co-operate with him, okay?"

A grin broke out on Jayden's face, and he seemed to relax.

"Well it's settled then." he said confidently. "I mean, Cole's a great lawyer; one of the best. We're sure to win."

Derek chuckled, wishing with all of his heart that Jayden was right. He shook his head.

"Don't jump to conclusions here." he said, placing a hand on Jayden's shoulder. "Cole's a great lawyer, he's amazing... but... your grandmother can afford someone just as good, maybe even better."

Jayden's face fell again, and Derek instantly felt bad.

"I'm not saying that we've got no chance here whatsoever." he assured Jayden, shaking his head. "Not at all. I just don't want you to get your hopes set on staying... in case we lose."

Jayden did not look at all reassured, but he bit back another argument and nodded, swallowing hard.

"Now come on." Derek said, standing up. "The commercial should be over now. We can catch the rest of the game before you do your homework, right?"

Jayden looked hesitant; he was a top student after all, and was a lot like Casey when it came to school.

But he was a normal eleven year old boy, and when it came down to it...

"Hockey it is, then." he said, grinning as he followed Derek back to the living room, his notebook lying forgotten on his bedroom floor.

- - - -

"I've got to ask you a couple of questions, okay Jayden?" Mr.Easton said, taking a seat at the kitchen table across from Jayden and Cole. Jayden was considerably intimidated by this man. It wasn't that he was huge or anything, because he wasn't. He wasn't much bigger or taller than Derek was, and he seemed to be in his early thirties or so. Nothing to be scared of. But his authority and important role in Jayden's future was giving the boy a definate feeling of inferiority.

A look of worry crossed Jayden's face.

"Questions about what?" he asked the older man, glancing at Cole nervously.

Cole gave him a reassuring smile, knowing how easily worked up Jayden could get over insecurity.

"He just needs to learn a little bit more about you." Cole explained to the eleven year old, leaning back in his chair casually. "Don't worry, okay? Just answer his questions as best as you can, and anything you're not sure of, ask me."

Jayden frowned.

"How come Derek and Casey can't be here too?" he asked fearfully.

Cole was worried that Mr.Easton would get impatient with Jayden's questions, but the man's face remained calm and patient, and he smiled contently.

"We just want to be sure that we're getting complete honesty from you, and that will work better if they're not in the room." Mr.Easton explained, glancing down at a black portfolio that lay open in front of him.

Jayden looked almost offended by Mr.Easton's explanation, but a stern look form Cole told him to drop it. He let out a slow, patient breath, and waited expectantly.

After scanning over a couple of pages in his notes, Mr.Easton cleared his throat, and looked back up at the other two with a small smile on his face.

"Tell me," he said, directing his question at Jayden, and poising his pencil on the paper in front of him. "How long exactly have you been staying with Derek?"

"Since January of the year my Dad died." Jayden said, without even thinking about it. "I was already staying with him when my Dad went away for work, and when he died, I just stayed there."

"Mhm, and it was originally only intended to last a couple of days, until permanent living arrangements were made; is that correct?"

Cole, sensing that Jayden was probably a little confused and overwhelmed by this question, decided to answer for him. He was much more informed on the story than Jayden was.

"Both of Jeff Walker's parents wanted Jayden at the time, along with Natalie Turner." Cole explained, trying to remember every last detail that Derek had told him during the conversation they'd had right before Mr.Easton's arrival.

Mr.Easton nodded.

"Yes, I know all about that." he informed Cole, nodding. "We were going to go into a similar custody battle to this one, but then Mr.Walker's will was found, and it stated that he was granting Mr.Venturi the maximum amount of time he could get for temporary gaurdianship. That custody, however, runs out in nineteen days time."

Jayden gulped, shuffling his feet against the floor, and Cole nodded.

"That's right." he confirmed. "Mr. and Mrs.Venturi want to make that arrangement permanent."

"Yes, but that's not the topic of this little meeting." he said, shaking his head sternly at Cole. He turned back to Jayden, smiling. "I'd just like to ask Jayden a couple of questions about his home life."

Jayden looked nervous, and Cole considered arguing his point further, but decided that it would be best to just agree. He sat back, nodding.

"Continue." he said, waving a hand.

Mr.Easton straightened up in his chair.

"Jayden," he started, giving the boy a searching look. "How old were you when you met Casey?"

Jayden bit his lip.

"Eight." he said, playing with the loose ends of his hoodie's sleeves. "I'd been living with Derek for six months, then."

"Mhm, and what did you think about her when you met her?" he asked, writing down notes as Jayden spoke. "Did you like her?"

Jayden smiled, and nodded.

"Of course." he said, and Cole relaxed a little bit. The kid knew how to swing things the right way. "She was really nice to me from the beginning. And it helped a lot that I got to know her before we moved in together."

Mr.Easton nodded.

"So you get along well with her?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just as well as you get along with Derek, would you say?"

Jayden's face turned serious, and he nodded again.

"She's my mother." he said, shrugging. "I don't care what anyone says; she is. She's raised me for three years now... and we get along great. She's the best."

Mr.Easton seemed to accept Jayden's opinion on Casey, and decided to move on to his next question.

"When you were in the hospital after the accident a few years ago, I understand you ran away for a short period of time." he said, squinting at his notes. "Care to explain why you did that?"

Cole was a bit worried about this question. He knew that Jayden had believed his reasoning behind running away from the hospital was understandable, but Mr.Easton might just see this as Jayden's emotions being disregarded by Casey and Derek, even if Cole never saw it that way.

"Derek and Casey told me they were going to get married, and that Casey was gonna have a baby, and I got scared." he admitted, blushing. "I thought that they wouldn't want to keep me around once they had the baby, so I ran off to make things easier on them." he said, before spotting the disapproving look on Mr.Easton's face. He turned to Cole, who had his hand pressed up against his temple, his eyes shut tightly. Recognizing his mistake, he rushed on.

"It wasn't like that though, not at all." he assured his social worker. "They told me that I was their son too, and that having a baby together wouldn't change that at all."

Mr.Easton didn't appear totally convinced, but he nodded and jotted down what Jayden had said.

He looked back up a moment later, ready to ask his next question.

"So you've had to adjust to moving in with Derek, having two new people added to your home, moving to another city, and then starting a new school." he said, raising an eyebrow. "That's a lot of adjusting for someone your age to do. So you handle change well?"

Cole tensed, sensing where Mr.Easton was going with this question, but knowing that Jayden didn't. He cleared his throat, shooting Jayden a cautious look.

"Uh, Jay?"

Mr.Easton shot him a stern look, shaking his head pointedly.

"Let him answer." he said, his voice fixed and determined. He turned back to Jayden. "Now, I'll ask you again. Do you handle change well?"

Jayden gave Cole a curious look, but then turned back to his social worker, shrugging.

"I guess you could say that, yeah." he said dismissively.

He knew that he had made a mistake the second Cole buried his face in his hands, and Mr.Easton rushed to write down his every word.

Jayden took the moment's silence to glance over at Cole, a worried expression plastered across his face. Cole gave Jayden a reassuring, but perhaps forced smile, before motioning for the kid to pay attention. Jayden hesitantly turned back to the other man, patiently awaiting his next question.

"So I understand you'd prefer to stay here?" he asked, biting his lower lip. "You said that to Casey?"

Hope passed across Jayden's face, and he nodded, smiling a little.

"Yeah." he said, hoping that this would help him a little. "I really do."

Cole sat up a little straighter, rubbing his chin curiously.

"How much will Jayden's preference play into the final decision?" he asked.

Jayden had to refrain from laughter. It was so weird to see a serious side of Cole. He saw Cole a couple of times a week, and he was used to the goofy guy who teamed up with Derek to play pranks on Casey and Kallie; the guy who wrestled with him, and gave Jeff piggybacks around the house. This was a whole new side of Cole he'd never seen before. He could only assume that adults had to act differently when they were doing their job.

Mr.Easton leaned back against his chair, thinking for a moment.

"I can't really say." he admitted, not looking at the disappointed look on Jayden's face. "I mean, it'll count for something, I'm sure of it. But the fact that Jayden can handle change well will probably factor into it strongly. I can say that with confidence."

Jayden instantly knew why Cole had tried to get his attention before he'd answered this question, and immediately felt like an idiot. He blushed, looking away.

"Not this kind of change." he mumbled, but he was not entirely sure that either man heard him.

After a few more questions, most of them informal and to the point, before Mr.Easton announced that he was finished questioning Jayden, and said that he would contact them again soon.

The three of them stood up, and Mr.Easton shook hands with both Jayden and Cole, before leading the way to the front door.

Casey and Derek immediately joined them in the porch, having been shunned to the living room for the duration of Jayden's meeting with Mr.Easton. Jayden rushed to stand by them, still feeling a bit intimidated by the man who had more power than any of them over Jayden's future, even if the final decision was not his to make.

Casey grasped Jayden's shoulder lightly, sensing his worry, before glancing back up at Mr.Easton.

"Did it go okay?" she asked, sounding cautious.

Mr.Easton nodded, slipping his shoes on.

"It went wonderful." he informed them, noting that they all relaxed under this information. "I'll be in contact with you in a few days. Remember that Natalie Turner will be here at five o'clock on Friday evening. Be ready for her, and I hope it goes well for you."

With that said, he turned and left, leaving the rest of them standing in the porch, none of them totally reassured. They could only hope that it would go well too. They had little control over the situation; it seemed like hoping was all they could do.

* * *

**So there's the chapter. Next chapter will be the Venturi-Turner meeting, so review, and more shall follow :) **


	8. Dinner Guest

**This chapter was written pretty quickly, so I'm not sure how I feel about it, but nonetheless, it is what it is now. This is, as promised, the chapter containing the first Venturi-Turner meeting. There will obviously be more to follow. Read and review, my friends. -smile- Oh, and this chapter title is so a rip-off of the season two episode, but that's okay. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Way to make me sad. **

**Chapter Eight: Dinner Guest**

At promptly five o'clock on Friday evening, the doorbell of the Venturi residence rang, it's tone sounding distinct and sharp, almost cold. Any other day, the Venturis would not have been phased by the simple ringing of a doorbell, but today was different. Today, they knew who would be on the other side of that door. Today, Natalie Turner would intrude upon their lives.

"Derek, do you want to get that?" Casey asked, as she attempted to straighten a piece of hair on the right side of her head that kept on curling.

Derek glanced up at her from his spot on their bed, his face stony and cold.

"Not exactly." he shrugged, his hands clasped together behind his head.

Casey gave her husband a stern and disapproving look, placing her comb down on the dresser in front of her for a moment. She placed a hand on her hip, staring him down.

"Derek, please." she pleaded, frowning. "Behave yourself tonight. I know that she's making our lives really hard right now-"

The doorbell rang again, this time no more reassuring than the first.

"-but we need to stay on her good side." Casey finished, frowning.

Derek sighed, pulling himself from his spot on the bed. He gave Casey a quick kiss on the cheek, making his way towards the door.

"I don't think this woman _has_ a good side, but I'll keep try and behave." he informed her, making his way downstairs.

He reached the door and, trying to calm himself down enough to act friendly, he pulled open the door, putting on a fake smile. He inwardly cringed at the sight of Natalie Turner standing on the doorstep, looking out of place in such a casual home. She had on a fancy beige jacket, and black pants. She looked like she was ready to hop back on the plane go fly to some business meeting; not go out to dinner with the Venturis.

Nonetheless, Derek bit back all of his negative remarks and opened the door wider, forcing a smile.

"Nice to see you again." he lied easily, opening the door wider and motioning for her to come inside. "Come in for a few minutes. We'll be ready soon."

"Sure." Natalie said casually, stepping inside to look around the porch. Derek didn't much care if their home wasn't fancy enough for her. This was the way they liked things; laid-back and casual. And if Natalie Turner disapproved of that, that was her own problem. Derek liked casual. It was comforting to him, and to the rest of their family. Things were clean, therefore hygenic, and that was all that mattered to him... actually, hygenic didn't much matter to Derek either, but he lived with Casey, and she was a clean-freak.

Knowing that Casey may take a few more minutes, and he couldn't very well leave Natalie by herself in his porch (even if he wanted to) he knew that starting a casual conversation was the only way to keep things from turning more akward than they already were.

Leaning back against the wall, Derek let out a slow and patient breath.

"So did you have a good flight?" he asked, secretly hoping that her flight had been filled with fussy toddlers, batty old ladies, and a distinctly smelly person on either side.

However, Natalie smiled at him, nodding her head.

"Lovely flight." she informed him, sounding very formal. "First class seats are always so roomy."

Derek sighed. Of course.

He was spared from having to say anything else when, out of nowhere, someone flew past Derek in a blur, and rushed for the door.

Derek instantly reacted and reached out, lifting his two year old into his arms before he could grab the doorknob.

"Hold up, Mister." he said, shifting Jeff so that he was holding him against his hip. "Just where do you think you're going?"

Jeff grinned sheepishly at his father, biting his lip as though trying to think of an excuse. When he found none, he shrugged.

"Park?" he suggested, trying his best to sound innocent.

Derek shook his head, shifting Jeff to his other hip.

"I don't think so." he said, feeling much more relaxed talking to his son, than to Natalie. He was privately glad Jeff had interrupted. "You're wearing you're good clothes, and we're going out in a minute. Besides, your Mom and brother are getting ready, so nobody can take you."

Derek felt rather smug when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Natalie tense upon the word 'brother' used to describe her grandson.

Derek turned back to Natalie, feeling the need to introduce his son to the woman. It would be the polite thing to do, after all, and he'd promised Casey that he'd behave.

"Uh, I'd like you to meet my son, Jeffrey." he said, managing to get out a genuine smile at the sight of his son. "Jeff, this is Ms.Turner."

"You can call me Natalie, you know." she said to Derek, before a look of confusion washed over her face. "Wait, a second. Jeffrey?"

"Yes, he's named after Jayden's father." Derek noted, defiance lacing his voice. "It only seemed fitting, and Jayden loved the idea."

Natalie would have argued the point further, but a moment later, Casey came down the stairs, arguing with Jayden, who was trailing behind her.

"-and no, you may _not_ get a tattoo." she finished, ignoring the confused look on Derek's face. She glanced up, and upon seeing that they had company, she blushed, straightening up a little and falling into place next to Derek. "-er, hello. You must be..."

"Natalie Turner, call me Natalie." she said, extending her hand to Casey. "I'm still trying to convince your husband to stop referring to me as Ms.Turner."

Derek forced a laugh, and looked away.

Natalie was studying Casey up and down, as though trying to form an opinion of her. Derek got the distinct feeling that she approved of Casey; and who wouldn't? Casey too, was proper and polite, clean and sociable. Derek could see how Natalie would approve of Casey, and indeed, she seemed a lot more friendly towards her than she was to Derek.

Her eyes travelled from Casey, to her grandson, who was standing on the third stair from the bottom. She instantly put on a sweet smile as Jayden gripped the railing with one hand, and flattened his other hand against the wall. He was biting his gums gently, something Derek knew he did when he was nervous.

"Jayden," his grandmother cooed happily, clearly trying her best to act friendly. She took a couple of steps towards him, her arms outstretched. "Look how much you've grown."

She instantly wrapped her grandson in a very formal hug, one which Jayden did not return. Derek watched as Jayden shot Derek a pleading look, which he merely returned with an apologetic shrug. As Jayden rolled his eyes and looked away, Derek shot Casey a warning glance, one that clearly stated he did not trust this situation at all.

When Natalie finally pulled away from their one-sided hug, she smiled at Jayden, looking him right in the eye.

"I haven't seen you since your father's funeral." she noted, still smiling.

'Geez, what a great greeting.' Derek thought to himself, rolling his eyes. _'Smooth, real smooth.'_

"Er, yeah." Jayden said, no hint of emotion in his voice. "Nice to... see you."

Natalie nodded, before straightening up and clapping her hands together, as though excited.

"Well let's get going, shall we?" she suggested, smiling around at them. "I've got reservations at-"

"Yeah, Mr.Easton filled us in on details." Derek said, handing his son off to Casey. "Here babe, put Jeff in his carseat, I'll go grab the keys."

Casey nodded, and within a few moments, they were all in the car, on their way to what would certainly be a very akward, and very unwanted dinner.

- - - -

"So tell me, Jayden." Natalie said, after chewing and swallowing her food. "What grade are you in?"

Derek rather thought that she should have known this about her own grandson, but decided to dismiss it as Jayden answered his grandmother.

"Seventh." he said, taking a bite of his chicken and continuing to talk, something that Derek could tell deeply annoyed Natalie. When Natalie looked confused, Jayden rushed on. "It's supposed to be sixth. I skipped first grade."

Natalie looked positively thrilled by this, and Derek could just imagine the thoughts that were going through her head. Having a genius of a grandson to brag about would be excellent for her reputation, he was sure of it. Derek honestly didn't care about that stuff. As long as Jayden was trying his hardest, and preferably getting good grades, he couldn't ask for anything more. But he didn't have to worry about it anyway; Jayden got nothing short of straight A's in school.

"So you're in Junior High already?" his grandmother asked, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. Jayden nodded. "That must be exciting; are your classes hard?"

Jayden shook his head.

"Nope." he dismissed. "Boring."

Natalie looked slightly put out and annoyed by his short-handed answers, but his refusal to open up to her didn't stop her from trying.

"Mr.Easton tells me you're on some teams." she tried, hoping to spark his interests. "What teams are you on?"

"Hockey. Soccer. Trying out for basketball. Skateboarding is fun too." he shrugged, taking a sip of his drink, and kicking his feet against the seat below him. Casey noticed this, and placed a hand gently on his knee.

"Jayden, stop that please." she said kindly, relieved when he obeyed her.

Natalie acted as though Casey hadn't spoken, and spoke up, a suggestive looking smile on her face.

"You know," she said, sounding as though she had a great idea. "If you like skateboarding, maybe you'd like surfing too. There's lots of surfing in California."

Jayden looked up at his grandmother between bites of his chicken, and Derek's anger started to bubble up inside him. Who was she to bribe Jayden into going with her?

Derek was relieved when Jayden shook his head, shrugging.

"Thanks, but I prefer skateboarding." he dismissed, looking away before his grandmother scowled.

"Well do you like swimming?" she asked, and a single grin showed that she had sparked his interest. "Because I've got a pool."

Casey shot Derek a look that clearly stated she felt no better about this woman's approach to the situation than Derek did, but Derek had to fight back laughter when Jayden grimaced and shook his head.

"Derek takes me to the public pool all the time." he explained, chewing on a piece of bread. "I like it there. All the kids from my school are always there and we play Marco Polo. No sense having a pool if there's no one else to play with."

Natalie scowled, but took a patient sip of her water, clearly trying her best not to let these failures affect her. Derek, however, made no attempts to hide the smug look on his face. They hadn't raised Jayden to be easily bribed, and he was proud of Jayden for not being bought by a couple of luxury offers.

After a moment, Natalie's disappointment faded and she turned to Casey, deciding to talk to her instead.

"So tell me," she said, as Casey tucked a napkin into Jeff's shirt to keep him from getting his food all over him. "What do you do for a living?"

Casey wrestled the fistful of hair that Jeff had grabbed onto out of his tiny fist, and smoothed her hair back down, forcing a smile.

"I worked as a secretary in a law firm in Toronto until we moved back to London." she explained, spreading butter onto her roll. "When we moved here, I underwent a bit of a career change, and persued a career in writing. I write short stories for a company that puts out volumes of children's stories, and I also have my own column in the newspaper."

Natalie looked slightly impressed by this, but did not drop the subject.

"So you work from home, correct?" she asked, sipping her water again.

Casey nodded.

"That's right." she said. "It saves money on daycare costs, and writing was always one of my passions. What about you?"

Derek saw right through Casey's friendly demeanor, and recognized that Casey held just as much hatred for Natalie Turner as he did. She had a way of being able to contain her anger, and he honestly had to wonder how she was doing it. If Natalie was a man, he would've gotten arrested for assault, at this point.

"I teach at the University of California." she said politely, smiling. "My ex-husband passed away before Jayden was born, but he was into politics for most of his life."

Before Casey could answer, a pea bounced off of Jayden's forehead, and he jumped for a moment, shocked.

He looked instantly to his little brother, who was grinning at him sheepishly.

He didn't get mad, merely shook his head, indicating that now definitely wasn't the time for a food fight, but like Derek, he couldn't fight off the proud grin on his face. Leave it to a Venturi to break the rules in front of someone who loved authority.

Casey sensed that Jeff needed some movement to distract him from all the adult talk that was going on. She smiled, before smoothing her shirt down, and standing up.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to go to the washroom." she explained, before catching sight of Jeff's messy face. "And you, little man, need your face cleaned up."

Jayden hopped up behind her, reaching to help unbuckle Jeff's safety-seat.

"I'll take him; I've got to go to the washroom too." he announced, lifting his younger brother from the seat and taking his hand to guide him carefully through the restauraunt. Jeff had a tendency of bumping into things and accidently smashing things in restaurants. It was sometimes amusing, and Derek and Casey could never stay mad at him for it, but today definitely wasn't the right day for that.

When it was just Derek and Natalie left at the table, Derek sighed, sitting back casually in his chair, and studying Natalie curiously.

"Bribes wont work on him, you know." he noted, giving her a look that told her he could see right through her motives.

She smiled sweetly, shrugging.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Derek bit back the urge to laugh, and rolled his eyes discreetly, deciding to move onto another topic before they started another argument.

"So what do you think of my wife and son?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Natalie smiled, wiping the corners of her mouth with her napkin.

"Your son is adorable." she said with a forced smile. "Very charming, though he could use some proper table manners." Derek bit back the urge to remind her that Jeff was two years old, and allowed her to continue with her analysis of his family. "As for your wife, she's a very nice lady. Very professional, it seems."

"Yeah, that's Casey." Derek said proudly, almost laughing. "Professional."

Natalie gave Derek a stern look as Derek took a sip of his water.

Picking up her own glass, she spoke up.

"It's a shame she married her stepbrother." she sighed sadly, shaking her head as she took a sip of her water.

Derek instantly choked over his beverage, leaning forwards and trying to jump start his breathing. When people started staring, Natalie looked around innocently, trying to act as though she was in no way involved in this little incident.

When Derek finally managed to take in a couple of deep breaths, he noticed that nobody was staring at him as much as they had been initially. But he really couldn't give a damn if anyone was staring at him. It was Natalie's comment that really pissed him off.

"What did you just say?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her angily. "Say it again."

Natalie raised an eyebrow, unmoved. She seemed to know she'd struck a nerve.

"I said," she sighed, sounding impatient. "It's a shame she married her stepbrother. A young girl like that could've gone so far in life. I can only imagine what such a scandal did to her reputation."

Derek was met with the very tempting urge to reach across the table and smack Natalie Turner right across her smug face. He reminded himself that she was a woman. He'd never hit a girl. He'd never hit a girl. _He would never hit a girl..._

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fight his anger back down. Who was she to come along out of nowhere and judge his marriage, and his wife? She knew nothing about what him and Casey had together, absolutely nothing.

"Don't _ever _say that again." he spat out, his voice a low hiss. "I've never been prouder of Casey in my life. She's got a husband who's crazy about her, parents and siblings who respect her, good friends, an excellent job that she's amazing at, and _two_ sons who love her to death." Natalie scowled at his word choice. "She's an amazing person, and you have no right to judge her."

"You can't honestly tell me that nobody had a problem with this relationship when it started." Natalie laughed, placing her glass down on the table and leaning forwards. "Don't tell me that. I know you two faced _some_ criticism, at least."

Derek glared at her.

"Maybe from one or two people, but I'm sure that they were just as close-minded as you apparantly are." Derek hissed, trying to control his shaking hands. "Most people were thrilled for us. Like I said before, times are changing. And I suggest you learn to change with them. And if you can't, that's cool, but don't you _dare _come around here and drag your stone-aged ideas and opinions into _my_ family. We're better off dealing with people who accept us for who we are."

Natalie studied Derek with shock for a moment, almost as though she was surprised that he would say such things to her. She blinked a couple of times, before finding the right words.

"Your marriage is not relevant to the custody battle." she decided, leaning back in her chair. "It's one more reason I want my grandson out of that home, but it's got nothing to do with who wins this case."

"I don't care if it's relevant." Derek snapped, shaking. "I don't want you judging us because of this."

Natalie shook her head, relaxing a bit.

"I'm not judging either of you." she objected, sighing. "Like I said before, I'm sure you're wonderful people. I have nothing against you, personally. Or your wife, for that matter."

Casey chose that exact moment to return with both of the boys in tow, Jeff's face considerably cleaner than before, and Jayden's shirt considerably wetter. Casey took one look at her husband, and Natalie, and immediately noticed how Derek's face was contorted into rage, something he usually controlled around someone who was supposed to be professional or formal around. She knew that Natalie must have really said something emotionally-triggering to get Derek this mad.

As Jayden lifted his brother back into the safety seat, Casey slid back into the booth and slipped her hand under the table, lacing her fingers with Derek's and placing their entwined hands on his knee, concealing it from the rest of them. It reminded her oddly of when they had first hid their relationship, back in high school. Those days had been filled with hand-holding underneath couch pillows and tables, kisses stolen behind closed doors and in dark rooms. Secret looks shared when they thought no one was looking. Notes slipped into each other's lockers between classes. Fingers brushing together for a few brief seconds as they passed each other slowly in the hallway, trying to make every last moment count.

Casey snapped out of her trance, remembering that she had wanted to ask Derek what was wrong.

"Um, is everything okay?" she asked, as Jayden sliped into the booth next to his grandmother. Nobody answered her. "Derek?"

Derek practically yanked his hand from hers, and shifted away from her slightly, leaning up against the wall on the far side of their table. He shot Natalie a pointed look, and stabbed moodily at a piece of potato on his plate.

Casey, who was quite hurt by his actions, frowned, and turned away from him, returning to her own supper. She understood that it was not her that Derek was mad at. He just got generally angry when he was in a bad mood, and she happened to show up at the wrong time.

Natalie was unmoved by Derek's actions, and Casey's reaction, and positively beamed across the table at everyone.

"Who's up for pie?" she asked brightly.

* * *

**Ah, Natalie. Yes, let us call her a... er, I'm sure there's many words coming to mind right about now. Anyway, review and you get to hunt down Natalie Turner personally -smiles-**


	9. It's A Girl's World

**This is the longest chapter by far, which is ironic because it was supposed to just sort of be a filler. There were two other things planned for this chapter that had to be pushed into the next one because it just got too long. Anyway, read and review, and thanks to those of you who are doing so already :) By the way, I don't really know much about custody, but I did look up some stuff about it. But there's bound to be flaws as the custody issue heats up, and that's probably why, lol. But I'll try my best to keep it accurate.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Chapter Nine: It's a Girl's World**

By the time the Derek pulled into the driveway, after dropping Natalie off at her hotel, Jeff had drifted off to sleep in his carseat, and Jayden's eyes were half open as well. On Jeff and Jayden's request, they had gone to a nearby park after dinner, and had spent two and a half hours walking around, and letting the children play at the playground. Then, they'd had to drive to the other side of town to drop Natalie off, and make sure she got her hotel room. By the time they got home, it was nearly ten, and both boys were exhausted from running around at the park all night.

Derek offered to go and put Jeff to bed, telling Casey that he'd be downstairs in fifteen minutes. She had asked him if he'd want to watch a movie before bed. It was Friday night, after all, and they deserved a bit of relaxation after all that they'd been through that night.

So after ensuring Jeff and Jayden were in bed, Derek made his way slowly downstairs, where Casey was already curled up on the couch, a blanket draped across her legs and a bowl of popcorn sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

He stopped on the last step, admiring her for a moment. She hadn't turned to look at him yet, and he took the oppurtunity to admire how beautiful she was. He felt his heart leap at the sight of her. He'd never get tired of seeing Casey, or kissing her. Not after four years apart.

She looked up at him, and smiled softly at him, patting the couch next to her.

"Come here." she said happily, motioning for him to join her.

He instantly obeyed, collapsing on the couch next to her, and grabbing a handful of popcorn and popping a piece into his mouth.

"You know me too well." he grinned as he chewed.

Casey cringed.

"Swallow, then talk." she reminded him, snatching a piece for herself. She ate quietly, perhaps noticing the way he was staring off into space, like he had been since she'd returned from the washroom at dinner.

She frowned, before finishing off her popcorn and leaning over to brush his hair away from his eyes. As her hand gently brushed his cheek, he turned to face her, his eyes distracted and lost.

"Derek, you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. "You've seemed so distracted since dinner. What's on your mind?"

She placed her hand gently on his thigh, and he placed his own hand over hers, lacing his fingers through hers carefully, examining their entwined hands as he thought. She waited patiently, knowing that Derek often needed a moment or two to gather his thoughts whenever he had something big on his mind.

Finally, he sighed, glancing up at her again.

"Do you ever wish you'd done something else with your life?" he asked, sounding fearful.

Casey raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the question.

"I mean... in terms of... us." he finished, wincing. "Do you ever wish you hadn't married me?"

Confusion and fear flashed through Casey's eyes, and he felt her hand give a twitch in his, almost frightened. Her face had gone pale, and she gulped before answering.

"Wh-Why would you ask me that, Derek?" she asked, her voice shaky. "You know how I feel about you." she paused as he looked away. "Why? Are you having regrets about..."

"Of course not." Derek said quickly, realizing what she must have thought. He pecked her lips quickly. "Never. Sorry for worrying you."

She seemed to relax a tiny bit, but did not seem at all reassured. She shifted uncomfortably, leaning into his side and resting her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him.

"Why would you ask me something like that, then?" she repeated, giving him a searching look.

He coughed akwardly, and shifted in his spot.

"Um, you know..." he mumbled, covering his mouth with his free hand. "Natalie..."

Casey relaxed completely then, giving him a stern and annoyed look.

"You've been acting sooky for three hours because of something _that_ old bat said to you?" she said disapprovingly. She rolled her eyes when he nodded. "Dammit, Derek. What did she say to you?"

Derek sighed, not really wanting to repeat Natalie's words.

"She said that you were really nice, and really professional," he started, not looking Casey in the eye. "-but that it was a shame you got married to me, because marrying your stepbrother probably had a negative impact on your reputation, and you would've gone a lot farther otherwise."

Casey stared at him for a second, before rolling her eyes.

"And you think I care what she thinks about us?" she laughed coldly, causing Derek to look up at her. "Please; I don't give a damn if that woman hates every aspect of our life together. The keyword there is _our_. I married you because I love you, and it doesn't matter what she thinks."

Derek nodded, not looking totally reassured. Casey caught sight of his hesitance, and sighed.

"Derek, don't sook." she begged him, pressing a kiss to the base of his neck. "You know how I feel about you. I promise you that I don't regret marrying you, and that I don't wish I could take it back. I am perfectly content with our life. I wouldn't change a single thing." she said, before thinking. "Well, maybe your hygeine, but that's about it."

A smile tugged at the corner of Derek's lips, and he rolled his eyes, more relaxed now. All that had been going through his mind in the past few hours had been 'what if she's right?' He knew that their relationship was unconventional, but it wasn't immoral, and it wasn't wrong. A bond that strong could never be labelled as wrong; in his mind anyway. He'd just worried that he'd taken alot of opportunity away from Casey, one of the things he never wanted to do in life. But she had reassured him that he was wrong, and so was Natalie. She didn't regret marrying Derek, not at all.

"She called us a scandal." Derek said, tracing small circles on her cheek with his thumb. "You don't think we're a scandal, do you?"

Casey bit her lip and shook her head.

"No." she informed him, making him relax. She kissed him quickly. "Now stop thinking about every little word Natalie Turner said to you, and just enjoy the rest of your evening." she said, wrapping her arms around his waist on one side and clasping them together against the other. "Because if you're going to be depressing, I'm going to bed."

Derek straightened up, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smirking.

"I'm not a depressing kind of guy, Case." he said, rolling his eyes. "That's not a word you'd use to describe me. Now sexy, charming, fabulous..."

"...stuck-up, stubborn, self-important?" she finished for him, looking thoughtful. "Were those the words you were thinking of?"

Derek blinked at her, trying to figure out if she was being serious or not.

When a smile appeared on her lips, he grinned, and grabbed her wrists, pinning her down to the couch beneath him, one knee on either side of her legs.

"Take it back." he told her, holding her wrists high above her head. She shook her head. "Take it back or I'm not letting you go."

"It's okay." she shrugged, still smirking. "I could probably catch some sleep down here. I'm going to have my eyes closed to avoid looking at your face, anyway. Sleep will come."

Derek's smirk only grew bigger as he took both of her wrists in one hand, waving his free one suggestively in front of her.

"Not if I'm doing... _this_!" he grinned, before lunging at her with his free hand, tickling every weak spot he knew. She laughed loudly, but upon remembering that the kids were asleep, tried to remain more quiet. This didn't go over too well.

_"Derek_!" she panted out, through fits of giggles. "Come on! Give it up! You're going to make me wake the kids."

"Take it back then!" Derek said, not stopping his little attack on her. "Come on, tell me that I'm absolutely sexy."

He stopped for a moment to allow her a chance to draw in some air. She panted heavily, her chest rising and falling gracefully, as Derek grinned down at her, waiting.

"Go on." he said, brushing his fingertips along her waist again suggestively. "Or I might just have to tickle you again."

Casey bit her lip thoughtfully, as though she was seriously considering it. He let his gaurd down for an instant as she pulled her best thinking face, and looked him straight in the eye.

Just when he thought she was going to give in and let him win, she took advantage of the fact that he'd temporarily let his gaurd down, and used her knee to push him up off of her long enough to let her roll out from underneath him.

He fell back against the arm of the couch, and she rolled gracefully to the other end, giggling.

Derek, who was slightly taken aback by her retaliation, sat up straight, straightening his shirt up and trying to fix his hair up again. He scowled at the grin on her face, shaking his head in mock-disgust.

"That was ego-deflating, Casey." he noted, pretending to be hurt by her actions.

She rolled her eyes and grinned as she shifted towards him.

"You needed your ego deflated every now and then." she said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled the blanket up over them. "Besides, it's a girl's world; guys just live in it. Get used to it."

With that, she smiled contently and flicked the TV on, preparing to start the movie. And as he obeyed her, and remained silent, he stared down at the girl in his arms, amazed at how positively whipped she had him.

She leaned up and kissed him, as though apologizing for wounding his precious ego.

And as he deepened the kiss, pulling her body up against his, he couldn't help but think that maybe being whipped had it's rewards after all.

- - - - - -

"Take a left at the...no, no not at the gas station, at the... weren't you paying attention when Mr.Easton dropped you off here last night?"

Derek pressed his hand against his forehead agressively, getting seriously annoyed with Natalie. How many times did he have to explain how to get to their house from the hotel before she'd understand?

"Here, talk to my wife." he murmered as Casey walked into their bedroom.

She shot him an angry look, already knowing who was on the phone by the impatient expression on his face. She snatched the phone from him, rolling her eyes.

"Hello?" she said sweetly into the phone. "Oh, hello Natalie. Yes. Directions?"

Derek tuned out as Casey used her best sweet voice to talk to Natalie, and attempt to give her directions to their house. She would be arriving in a half an hour to retrieve Jayden, and take him out for the day. Derek wasn't exactly crazy about the idea, but Mr.Easton had insisted that Natalie be allowed to spend at least fifteen hours a week with Jayden until the trial. She had already covered five of those hours at the dinner, and would be able to spend another four with him that day.

After a few minutes, Casey hung up the phone, and sat down on the edge of the bed, next to where Derek was lying lazily. She raked her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead.

"Relax." she said, sensing what was on his mind. "Jayden's a smart kid. He won't let anything Natalie says persuade him to leave. He's a big boy."

Derek sighed, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes tightly.

"I know." he said uncertainly, frowning. "I'm just worried. She's so damn critical, Case. l don't want her to say anything that'll upset him."

She traced circles on his cheek with her thumb, biting her bottom lip.

"Like I said," she started, smiling sadly. "Jay's a big boy. He's mature enough to handle whatever Natalie Turner throws at him. We've raised him to be smart, Derek, he's not about to let her get to him."

Derek sat up, running a hand through his hair.

"I guess you're right." he sighed, smiling at her. "How come you're always the logical one in things?" he asked, looking puzzled.

She laughed, kissing his cheek quickly before standing up.

"Because I'm the smart one, remember?" she said, before leaving the room.

He shook his head, rolling his eyes at her retreating form, before getting up to make himself some lunch.

- - - - -

Casey was sitting on the couch at four thirty that afternoon, reading a novel that Lizzie had gotten her for her birthday. She had already read it about three times before, but she was the type of person who could re-read a book twenty times, and still enjoy every minute of it. She had her legs curled up behind her, and one arm was curled underneath her head, which rested on a pillow. She was quite comfortable, to be honest. Derek had taken Jeff and gone over to Edwin's for a couple of hours, leaving her by herself. He had offered to take her, but she had refused, saying that someone had to be there when Jayden got back.

Just as she was getting to one of her favourite parts of the book, the doorbell rang, ringing distinctly throughout the house. She sighed, placing her bookmark carefully inside the pages and closing it shut, laying it down carefully on the couch.

She stood up, stretching her arms above her head as she made her way towards the door.

She wondered who it could be. It wouldn't be Jayden and Natalie back this early; they'd only left two hours ago.

She peered out the glass pane in the door, craning her neck to see who her visitor was, and she smiled when she saw it was Cole.

She undid the lock and pulled the door open, grinning at her best friend.

"Hey!" she said enthusiastically. She loved it when Cole dropped by for a little visit. He did it often, though he usually brought Kallie with him now.

She leaned forwards, giving him a quick hug, which he returned very briefly, before pulling back, his eyes darting around nervously.

"Hey, Casey." he said, sounding oddly distracted. He peered behind her. "Can I come in?"

Casey raised an eyebrow at his obvious jumpy mood, and opened her mouth to answer.

"Um, su-" she started, but he pushed past her, his shoulder shoving hers accidently as he stormed into the living room, collapsing onto the couch and knocking her book to the floor.

He didn't even notice, and she bent down to retrieve her book, placing it on the endtable before she sat down next to Cole, sitting cross-legged so that she could face him, even if he was face-forward.

She peered at him curiously, seeing the worry in his eyes.

"Cole?" she asked, gently placing a hand on top of his. "What's on your mind?"

His eyes shot up to meet hers instantly, and they widened as he gulped, shaking his head.

"N-Nothing..." he stammered, looking absolutely bewildered. "W-Why would you think there's anything wrong?"

Casey raised an eyebrow as his hand began to shake beneath hers. She turned it over, entwining her fingers with his and squeezing it to comfort him.

"Because you're shaking, you're jumpy, you're nervous, you can't even talk properly... should I continue?"

Cole shook his head, gulping again, and taking a couple of deep breaths.

"No, don't continue." he said quietly, chewing his bottom lip for a moment. She waited patiently for him to speak again, and after what seemed like a century, he did. "Casey... I think... Kallie..."

Casey squinted in confusion, not understanding what he was saying.

"You think Kallie's what, Cole?" she asked, trying her best to coax him. "Come on, we've been best friends for like, seven years. You can tell me anything."

He drew in a shaky breath, looking up at her.

"I think she's... pregnant." he finished, cringing. "She went to a movie with her cousin last night, and when I got home from my brother's house, I was making dinner and... I went to throw something out and I... I saw the package to the... to the pregnancy test..." he got out, raking his fingers through his hair and grimacing. "God dammit, Casey... I'm freaking out here." he cried, shaking terribly. "I don't know what to do if she... what if she's..." he trailed off, terror appearing across his face. "Oh my God... what if the baby isn't mine? Maybe that's why she didn't tell me! What if she's cheating on me? What if-"

"Cole!" Casey cried, dropping his hand to grip his shoulders tightly, trying to pull him back to focus. He stopped freaking out, and looked her in the eye, looking as though he was about to cry. She kept her hands on his shoulders for another moment, making sure that he was calm enough, before lowering them back down to his hands again, taking them in hers.

"Relax." she said softly, still shocked by everything Cole had just said, but knowing that he needed his insecurities settled first. "For starters, Kallie is _not_ cheating on you." she said, shaking her head.

He grimaced, tensing.

"How do you know?"

"She'd never, _ever_ cheat on you." Casey assured him confidently, knowing that this was the truth. "Do you want to know how I know that?" she asked, and he nodded. She gave him a half smile. "I know that she'd never cheat on you because she feels the same way about you as I do about Derek. And would I ever cheat on Derek?"

Cole didn't even have to think about that; he shook his head with confidence.

"Never." he said, sounding a bit more relaxed.

She gave him a pointed look.

"Then trust me, Kallie wouldn't cheat on you either." she assured him, and he drew in a deep breath, nodding. "Now... what's this about Kallie being pregnant?"

He sighed, pulling his hands out of hers and standing up. He paced back and forth in front of the couch, one hand tangling repetitively through his hair.

"I don't know!" he cried in frustration. "That's the thing. I just found the box there, nothing else. And she hasn't even mentioned the possibility to me. I mean, you think she would if it was something she wanted me to know. If this is my kid, which you're telling me it obviously is, I'd have a right to know-"

Casey cut him off with a soft laugh, one that caused him to turn and stare in confusion. She gave him a sad smile, her past hitting her like a slap to the face.

"You honestly don't remember what happened when I found out I was pregnant, do you?" she asked him, her mind flashing back to what had happened that day.

_-_

_"It's positive." _

_"Casey-"_

_"It's fuckin' positive, Cole." Casey got out, dropping the small device from her hands. "Oh my God...Oh my God..." _

_Cole placed an arm around her shoulders, attempting to comfort her, but tears were already sliding down her face heavily. _

_"What am I supposed to do?" she sobbed, not bothering to wipe away her tears._

_Taking pity on her, Cole reached out with his free hand, and wiped away a few of them, though they were quickly replaced by fresh ones. _

_"Tell Derek." he suggested, holding her closer. "Call him and tell him that you're carrying his child." _

_Casey's eyes widened, and she began to sob harder. _

_"I can't do that." she argued, shaking her head. "There's no way I could-" _

_"This is his baby too, Casey." Cole reminded her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "He has a right to know that he's going to have a child." _

_"He has a child." Casey pointed out, sniffing. "He's got Jayden. That's his main priority. He doesn't want to be burdened with me and some baby that came out of one night of-" _

_"Of what, Case?" Cole prompted, removing his arm from her shoulders and tilting her chin towards him. "Of love, right? He loves you, Casey. He told me so many times that he's still in love with you."_

_"You don't walk away from someone you love." she said coldly, shaking her head. "You don't hurt them like that. And he... he did. He doesn't love me. And if you believe he does just because he told you he did, then you're a much bigger idiot than I thought you were." _

_Cole frowned, not accustomed to being called an idiot by his best friend. But he knew that she was upset right now, and possibly quite hormonal. She wasn't a force to be reckoned with, and he was much better off not getting angry with her. _

_"You're right." he said, nodding slowly. "What he did was immature and cold... but... he must have had a good reason for-" _

_"Don't you _dare_ defend him!" Casey cried, smacking his shoulder violently. "Don't even... I can't believe this. I can't count on anyone. Nobody even cares about me, so long as perfect Derek is content."  
_

_Cole reacted instantly, pulling her into a gentle hug. _

_"I care about you." he assured her, kissing the side of her head. "I care about you, and you can count on me. I promise. I was just trying to show you that maybe Derek never did this to hurt you. But we can discuss that later. I can see you're upset right now..." he trailed off, biting his lip. "And I am going to be here with you through everything. I'll help you with whatever you need, Casey. If you need some money... I can give you some...we can contact my parents..." _

_Casey smiled sadly, shaking her head as she pulled back from the hug, his arms still around her._

_"Thanks, but I'm not going to make you or your parents pay for my mistakes." she said, wiping a tear away. "I'll manage." _

_He looked hesitant, but nodded. _

_"Okay, well anything else you need, then." he offered. "If you need someone to babysit, I'll be here. I'll move in if I've got to." _

_Casey laughed. _

_"You practically live here anyway." she pointed out, motioning towards the guest room that had over half of his stuff in it. "But that's okay. You and Kallie are moving in together somewhere soon. But I really could use a babysitter from time to time, so thank you, Cole. You're being a bigger help than this kid's father is being."_

_Cole hesitated, knowing that saying what was on his mind may cause her to freak on him again. But he knew that this was serious stuff, and anything could help, at this point. _

_"The baby's father could be a much better help if he knew there was a baby." he pointed out, praying that Casey would realize this. She glanced away and he took her hand. "Come on, you know I'm right. You've got to tell Derek about the baby." _

_"He doesn't want this, Cole." she argued, shaking her head. "He's a player, and he always will be." _

_"But you love him." _

_"And he's in love with..."_

_"-you?" Cole suggested, raising an eyebrow. _

_"-with love." she finished, sighing. "He'll never settle down."  
_

_Cole shook his head, frowning. _

_"Not if you don't give him a chance, he won't." he pointed out, getting sick of saying the same thing over and over. _

_"I gave him a chance, and he left." she reminded him, sighing. "I'll just have to do this on my own. It's better this way. If I tell Derek, he'll just think of it as-"_

_"-as something that came at exactly the right time." Cole said confidently. He knew he was right. _

_Casey shook her head. _

_"As a mistake, and as a reason he'd have to give up his ladies-man lifestyle to move in with me and take care of a kid he probably doesn't want. And I don't want that. If he wanted to be with me, he would've stayed last month. I don't want him to come back because he feels obliged to." _

_Cole sighed, knowing that there was no sense attempting to talk sense to her. _

_"Fine." he said, shaking his head. "I give up." _

_She wiped away one more tear, trying to look braver than she felt. _

_"Trust me, Cole... this is what's best." she said, not sounding very sure of herself. "Derek won't find out about this. And that's what's best for both of us." _

_- _

"But you told him eventually." Cole whined, trying to make Casey see his point. "Kallie should be telling me these sorts of things!"

Casey shook her head, brushing her hair behind her shoulders.

"I never told Derek." she informed him. "That nurse brought it up by accident, remember? Other than that... I'm not really sure what would've happened. I don't even know if we would've gotten back together. It's impossible to tell. My point is, it can be pretty hard for a girl to tell a guy these sorts of things. Maybe Kallie's just as scared as I was that day."

Cole growled in frustration, stopping his pacing and blowing out an impatient breath.

"But she shouldn't be scared!" he cried, frustrated. "She knows that I love her, what's there to be afraid of?"

Casey raised an eyebrow, motioning towards his current state.

"If there's nothing to be afraid of, why are you reacting like this?" she asked, knowing she had him pinned. He opened his mouth to respond, but found that he couldn't. She sighed. "I prove my point. She knew you'd freak out, and maybe that's not something she's willing to face just yet."

Cole sighed, flopping down into a nearby armchair and running both of his hands through his hair, staring at the ground.

Casey sighed, pressing a hand to her temple.

"Do you want this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want her to be pregnant?"

Cole chewed on his lower lip for a moment, as though he was seriously considering the question.

Finally, he looked up at Casey and shrugged.

"I don't know." he admitted, looking completely puzzled. "I mean yes... I do... I think..." he got out, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. He breathed in deeply. "Yes, I do. I mean, I sort of freaked out when I saw the pregnancy test there, and I didn't think I really wanted it, but I do. The only person I'd want a family with is her, and I _am_ twenty eight. I already know that she's the right girl for me, and if she's pregnant, I'm going to stand by her and... and I'll take care of her and the baby."

"You don't sound too sure about all of this." Casey noted, frowning. "Are you sure this is something you want?"

"Is there any choice?" he said, raising his face up from his hands, looking completely defeated. "If she is, there's not much I can do about it now, is there?"

Her gaze remained firm and serious.

"That's not what I asked."

He sighed impatiently, knowing she wanted an answer.

"Yes, okay?" he cried, throwing his hands in the air. "I want a family with Kallie, and if it happens now, it happens now. I'm not about to leave her because this happens sooner than I thought it would. I love her."

The matter was settled then, and Casey knew he'd stick with his girl, no matter what.

"Did you ask her about it?" she asked, hoping that he had.

But he shook his head, indicating that he hadn't.

"No," he admitted, sighing. "I haven't seen her since then."

Casey was about to nod and accept this answer, when she remembered something. Cole had said that he'd found the pregnancy test the night before. If he hadn't seen her since then...

"Cole..." she said slowly, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. "When did you leave your house?"

Cole sighed, blushing furiously as he raised his gaze to meet hers. He was ashamed of his answer, she could tell, and finally, he spoke up, with his voice barely above a whisper.

"Seven thirty last night." he mumbld, burying his face in his hands again. "I left before she came home."

Casey stared at him in disbelief. She could only imagine what poor Kallie was going through, looking for him. If it was Derek that didn't come home one night, and did not show his face the next day either, she'd be livid and overwhelmed with worry.

Without a second thought, she flipped open her cellphone, which had been on vibrate, to find that she had nineteen missed calls, seventeen of them from Kallie.

"She's called me seventeen times, Cole." she said, flipping her cellphone shut. "I'd be afraid to see how many times she's called you. The poor girl is probably hysterical by now."

"Don't remind me." he said, cringing. "And she's called me twenty five times... before I turned my cellphone off, that is. I just... I dunno, Casey. I can't face her yet. I'm freaking out."

Before Casey could answer, the doorbell rang, and she pulled back the curtain next to her, peering towards the front door to see who was at the door. She spotted a flash of blonde and brown hair, and turned back to her best friend, grimacing.

"Well you better prepare yourself real quickly, because she's at the door."

* * *

**So there's a bit of the Cole/Kallie for you all, sort of. And some Dasey at the beginning, so yay. And the flashback wasn't planned from the beginning, but it sort of fit, and it's sort of like a bit of insight from Casey's side of the story from AaF during that month after Derek ran off, lol. Anyway, review. :) More should be up soon. **


	10. Fighting Words

**Here's chapter ten :) Some Cole/Kallie at the beginning, since I sort of left off on a small cliffhanger before. Anyway, thanks for reviewing so far, and keep doing so please. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Such sadness.**

**Chapter Ten: Fighting Words**

Cole was panicking. He jumped up, darting across the room to the living room window, and pulling the curtin back in the slightest to see his girlfriend standing outside, arms wrapped tightly around her body.

He groaned, turning away from the window and letting the red curtain fall back into place against the window. He started pacing back and forth across the room, running a hand through his hair.

Casey stood up, making her way towards the doorway of the living room.

"I've got to go answer that, Cole." she said, stopping right before she was about to leave the room. She turned to face him, only to see that his face was flooded with panic.

"No!" he said, shaking his head frantically. "Please don't."

The doorbell rang again, for a moment longer this time.

"I've got to let her in."

"She'll leave." Cole begged, making his way across the room and stopping in front of Casey. "Please, I know she will. Just give her a minute and she'll be gone."

"Cole, you're being a coward." she said quietly, smiling sadly at him. "Avoiding Kallie is only going to make things worse. You're doing just what Derek did when he left me that morning. And do you remember how upset I was? Do you remember how long I cried for?"

Cole hung his head shamefully, blushing.

"Almost two weeks... maybe more." he said quietly.

Casey nodded.

"Mhm, and do you really want to inflict that sort of pain upon your girlfriend?"

Cole's eyes darted up briefly to meet hers, and he stared at her for a moment. She could practically feel the regret radiating off of him as his shoulders slumped in defeat, and he sighed.

"Go let her in." he said, sounding nervous, yet ashamed of his actions. "I may not be ready to face this, but I don't want to hurt her anymore than I already have. I'm just going to have to suck it up and face this like a man."

Casey smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek quickly, before ruffling his hair.

"Thank you." she said, pushing him gently towards the armchair, and making her way down the hall, calling out to him over her shoulder. "I'll bring her in. You can do this, Cole. Just... smile and nod alot. And throw in a few 'I'm sorry's'... just in case."

Cole looked bewildered, but nodded.

When Casey reached the front door, she took a deep breath and pulled it open to see that Kallie had been walking away from the door to return to her car. Casey took a step outside the house, onto the front step.

"Hey, Kallie!" she called out.

Kallie looked back, her eyes instantly lighting up with hope when she saw Casey. She was dressed in one of Cole's black hoodies, and a pair of dark jeans, clearly not caring about her appearance at the moment. Her hair, once straight, was now messed up, while her makeup was smudged slightly, and her eyes red. Casey could tell that she hadn't slept well, if at all, the night before.

"Casey!" Kallie said desperately, stumbling and practically throwing herself towards the doorway. She was out of breath, and Casey felt her heart wrench for her. She looked absolutely miserable. "Have you... is Cole... Casey... I'm so scared... he left and I don't know if he's coming back, or if he's okay, or where he-"

"Relax, he's here." Casey said softly, reaching out to fix Kallie's hair up a bit. She smiled as she smoothed her hair down for her. "There, that's better. Come in. He's in the living room."

Kallie's eyes widened, and she started to cry.

"What'd I do, Case?" she asked, sobbing. "Why is he mad at me? Everything was fine yesterday when I left, and I came home... and he was gone. And he won't even answer the phone or return my calls. What did I do to him?"

Casey reached out, hugging Kallie in reassurance, wanting her to know everything was going to be fine.

"You didn't do anything, Kal." she informed her friend, guiding her into the house and closing the door. "Cole's just really... confused. He's not mad at you. Don't worry. Just... go on in the living room. Talk to him."

Kallie looked hesitant, but nodded, wiping at her eyes with the ends of her sleeves. and sniffing loudly.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, looking doubtful.

Casey studied her for a moment, seeing her puffy eyes and her messed up hair, and cringing.

"Just go." she dismissed, waving a hand. "I'll give you two some privacy. I'll be in the kitchen, if you need me."

Kallie watched Casey leave, before summoning up all of her courage, and making her way slowly towards the living rooms, her steps cautious and pained.

When she entered the living room, she saw Cole sitting in an armchair, his head ducked down, and his hands rubbing his temple roughly. She felt so akward, standing there as miserable-looking as she was. And she knew she looked horrible. She had thrown on one of his oversized hoodies as she was on her way out the door, and it practically fell down to her knees. She was wearing the same jeans as she had been the day before, and she knew by the look that Casey had given her that her makeup was out of place as well. But she didn't care.

She drew in a shaky breath, deciding to make her presence known, seeing as Cole hadn't acknowledged her presence yet.

"C-Cole?" she stammered out nervously. It barely came out, and he didn't hear it, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Cole?"

He looked up this time, his eyes nervous and remorseful, and his face worried and anxious. He softened instantly, standing up and making his way towards her slowly.

"Kallie," he started, reaching out to brush her hair off of her face. He took note of the pain in her eyes and cringed. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes narrowed angrily, and she pressed her hands up against his chest, shoving him away from her abruptly.

"Am I okay?" she spat out, shaking with anger. "N-No, I'm not okay, Cole. I just spent the past eighteen hours running around like mad, looking for my boyfriend, and I find he's sitting here calmly-"

"Uh, far from it." he laughed, shaking his head. "Trust me, baby, I was far from calm. I think I freaked Casey out."

She paused, before closing her mouth and thinking for a moment.

"Why were you freaking out?" she asked him nervously, wiping a tear away. "What happened?"

Cole relaxed a little bit, realizing that she was willing to hear him out.

He drew in a deep breath, and took both of her hands gently in his, kissing her right one as softly as possible.

He dropped her left hand to trail his downwards, sliding his hand under the hoodie and the shirt underneath it to rest his hand on her bare stomach gently. His heart leapt when he realized that there was a good possibility that his very own child lay underneath his touch at that very moment. The thought was amazing to him, and he knew then that he wanted this.

"Kallie, I need you to answer me, being completely honest." he said slowly, taking in a deep breath. "Are you pregnant?"

She drew in a sharp breath, shoving his hand away from her stomach, and withdrawing her hand from hers. She looked almost frightened.

"How'd you find out about that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

He gave her a sad smile.

"I found the box to the pregnancy test in the garbage." he admitted, blushing. "Baby, why wouldn't you just tell me that there was a chance that you were pregnant?"

She sighed, turning around and walking slowly in the other direction, entwining her fingers together in front of her.

"I thought you'd freak out." she sighed, sounding nervous. "I thought you wouldn't want this, and then you'd leave me."

Cole snorted.

"How big of an asshole do you think I am?" he asked, sounding slightly offended. "Do you honestly think that I'd leave you over something like this?"

Kallie turned around, raising an eyebrow pointedly. Cole stared at her for a moment before laughing bitterly, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Great, so my girlfriend thinks I'm an asshole." he said, throwing himself down in the chair again. "Thanks. Love you too, Kal."

"It's not a question of loving you." she said, rolling her eyes. "It's just that... you react badly to these sorts of things."

Cole huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Do not."

Kallie threw him an annoyed look.

"Sook."

Cole sighed, motioning for her to come closer to where he sat. Hesitantly, she did, and he took her hands, pulling her between his legs and staring up at her. His eyes completely serious, he spoke up.

"All worries aside, just being completely honest... are you pregnant?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. When she still appeared hesitant, he kissed her hand gently, before squeezing it in reassurance. "Just tell me, Kal. It's not going to drive me away from you."

Her eyes flickered with hope, and she drew in a sharp breath, looking disbelieving.

"It...It won't?" she asked, not sounding completely certain. "You promise?"

Cole nodded, still staring up at her from his spot in the chair. Her hands were shaking within his, and it was obvious that he felt bad for worrying her.

"I promise." he said, a bit nervous himself. "Just be honest with me, and you've got nothing to be worried about."

She drew in a very deep breath, looking as though she was about to pass out from the stress of it all.

"Yes, I'm pregnant." she admitted, her eyes locked with his nervously. "I found out yesterday morning... and I was trying to figure out the best way to tell you...I thought you'd be mad."

Cole shook his head as he stood up, dropping her hands to wrap his arms around her waist.

"I'm not mad." he told her truthfully. "You didn't do this to yourself. I had a part in it too, obviously. I'm happy about this, I swear I am. I just freaked out, and I'm sorry for not coming home last night... I just didn't know how to face it."

She looked for a moment as though she was going to remain angry with him, but then she smiled very faintly, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't let it happen again." she warned him, trying to sound as serious as possible. She failed miserably. She laughed, falling against his chest in a hug. "Where'd you go, anyway?" she asked, as he buried his face into her neck, pressing a kiss to her bare skin.

"I went back to my brother's, and spent the night there." he sighed, rubbing her back gently. "I don't think he was too happy with me. He had a date last night, and I sort of showed up when him and his girlfriend were right in the middle of watching a movie. I have a feeling I'll be recieving an angry phone call sometime today."

She laughed, pulling back a tiny bit so that his arms were still around her waist, but she could wipe her eyes with her sleeve.

"I look horrible." she giggled, a smile tugging at her lips. "Absolutely terrible."

Cole shook his head, brushing his lips to hers gently.

"No you don't." he assured her, smiling. "You look gorgeous." She shot him a doubtful look, and he grinned, pulling her tighter. "Have I ever mentioned that you look so amazing in my clothes?"

She smirked, threading her hands through his hair playfully.

"I thought you said I looked best with no clothes at all?" she asked, putting on her best innocent face.

"Nuh-uh." he said, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "You look incredibly sexy with no clothes at all. When you're wearing my clothes, you look absolutely adorable."

She grinned, before capturing his lips in a passionate kiss, making him stumble backwards a bit towards the wall. He let his hands slide underneath the black hoodie she was wearing to rest lightly on her hips. She had just pressed him up against the wall when the clearing of a throat broke them apart. Kallie wrenched her lips away from Cole's, turning to see Casey standing in the doorway, looking as though she wanted to burst into laughter.

"I see you two have worked everything out." she noted, grinning. "I'm glad. I can't handle anymore drama in my life right now."

Kallie laughed, grasping Cole's hand and leading him towards the couch, where they sat down together. Casey took a seat in the armchair across the room, smiling at them.

"No worries." Kallie reassured her, glancing at her boyfriend. "We're fine. I've made it quite clear to Cole that if he does it again, I'm cutting him off."

"You're _what_?" Cole cried, his eyes widening at his girlfriend, who merely smirked and turned back to Casey.

"Where's yours?" she asked, referring to Derek. "Your house is awful quiet today. And when your house is quiet, there's something weird going on."

Casey laughed in agreement, realizing that Kallie was right; their house was always upbeat and energetic.

"Derek's gone over to Edwin's with Jeff, and Jayden's out with his grandmother for a few hours." Casey explained, glancing down at her watch. "They're all due back sometime soon, actually." she noted, sighing.

"How'd the dinner go?" Cole asked casually, his hand resting on Kallie's thigh gently. "Has Derek killed Natalie yet?"

Casey rolled her eyes, knowing that this accusation was quite likely.

"Er, not yet." she murmered, wincing. "I'm sure he's quite capable of it, at this point. Natalie kept trying to bribe Jayden into living with her. You know... saying that she's got a pool and everything. And then at the park, he said he liked the jungle gym, and Natalie started rambling on about how she could easily have a backyard playset installed if he moved in."

Cole's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head in disgust.

"What a bitch." he mumbled, looking as though he wanted to kill Natalie Turner himself. "How did Jay react to all of this?"

Casey smiled proudly.

"Like a real Venturi." she laughed. "He stayed strong. He said if he had his own personal playground, he'd be using it too much, and he'd get bored with it. Natalie wasn't too impressed, but I think Derek wanted to give the kid an award then and there for defying her."

Before she could say anymore, the sound of the front door swinging open could be heard, and of shuffling in the porch.

"Derek?" Casey called out, figuring it would be her husband, back with Jeff.

Jayden popped his head into the living room, grinning at the three of them.

"Nope. Just me." he shrugged, making his way towards the couch to sit next to Kallie and Cole. "Hey."

They both greeted him, but then looked up to where Casey was looking, at where Natalie Turner stood in the doorframe, looking around akwardly, as though she was unsure she should really be here.

"Hi, Natalie." Casey said, forcing out her best smile. "You can come in, you know. You don't have to stand there."

"I just wanted a word with you about when I can pick him up next." Natalie said, scowling when she saw that Cole and Jayden were play-wrestling, something she clearly disapproved of. Kallie was watching Natalie Turner with interest, and Casey noticed that Natalie was giving Kallie a strange look. She was about to question it, when she remembered that Kallie's physical appearance was a bit off that day, due to her emotional distress. She decided it would be best to remove Natalie from the room as quickly as possible, so she stood up, rushing towards the door and ushering her out .

"Yeah, of course. Cole, if Derek comes in tell him I'm in the kitchen." she said, directing Natalie down the hall and turning around quickly to roll her eyes at Kallie, who stifled a laugh. She quickly followed Natalie into the kitchen, turnin towards the fridge. "Would you like something to drink?"

Natalie pursed her lips, looking rather thoughtful, but she lay her purse down on the counter next to the keys to the car she had rented out, and nodded.

"Water will do, thank you." she said, sitting down at one of the bar stools. "That young man out there... you called him Cole?"

Casey nodded, retrieving two glasses from the top shelf of one of the cupboards.

"Yeah, that's Cole." she said, not seeing her point. She shrugged. "What about him?"

Natalie propped her elbows up against the island, her chin resting in her hands.

"Isn't that the name of the lawyer you hired?" she asked, raising an eyebrow knowingly. Casey nodded, and she frowned. "He's not..."

"He's our lawyer, yes." Casey said, shrugging. "He's been my best friend for seven years. He was quite willing to help us out, actually."

Natalie looked very disturbed by this idea, and she shook her head in dismay.

"Personal involvement with a case is never a good idea." she said disapprovingly. "It makes for a biased lawyer."

"Cole isn't biased." Casey said firmly, pouring water from the pitcher into the two glasses. "He's really fair, actually."

Natalie looked like she wanted to argue, but she shrugged, taking the glass form Casey's hand and taking a sip of her water.

"It's none of my business." she said, and Casey bit back the irresistable urge to say 'There's a first', but merely rushed on, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"When do you want the other six hours?" she sighed, hearing the front door open and shut, and the sound of Derek calling out to her. She wasn't worried; she knew that Cole would let him know where she was.

Natalie thought for a moment, taking another sip of her water.

"If it's okay with you and your husband, I'd like to take him two days this week, for three hours at a time. Monday and Thursday, perhaps?"

Casey thought quickly, trying to remember the schedules for Jayden's sports teams. She shook her head.

"He's got soccer on Mondays. Can you do it Tuesday, instead?"

Natalie sighed, but nodded impatiently.

"I suppose." she said, placing her empty glass down on the surface in front of her. "These sports, do they take up a lot of time?"

Casey's eyebrows scrunched together for a moment, and she desperately wanted to tell Natalie off. She didn't have to treat Jayden's interests as though they would be burdens to her, should the boy move into her home.

"I don't know." she said, shrugging as she leaned against the counter, facing Natalie. "He's got soccer twice a week from May until August, hockey twice a week from November until January, and he's trying out for basketball in the spring."

"Nonsense." Natalie said, waving her hand dismissively. "I won't allow any of that. I appreciate physical activity and all, but one sport is enough. Jayden needs to focus on his academic achievements."

"Jayden is an honour roll student." Casey said through gritted teeth, trying very hard not to lose her temper with Natalie. "He manages to balance his sports and his schoolwork very well. he loves his sports."

"Well if Jayden moves in with me, he'll have to choose one sport." Natalie said firmly, shaking her head. "I won't allow any of this rushing around, exposure to injury, all that nonsense."

Casey snorted at Natalie's confidence that she would have this type of control, or that she would be getting custody of Jayden at all.

"Good luck with that." she said, taking both of their empty glasses and placing them in the sink. "I warn you now, Jayden won't choose between his sports."

Natalie remained unmoved.

"We'll see about that." she shrugged.

Casey was suddenly hit with the strongest urge to ask her about the night before, about what Natalie had said to Derek.

"I heard you had an interesting conversation with Derek last night." she said, propping her elbows up on the counter behind her, and smirking coldly. "You think our marriage is immoral?"

Natalie raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't it?"

Casey laughed, shaking her head.

"You see, I don't think so." she argued, feeling some level of superiority over the older woman. "I personally think it's none of your business who I choose to marry."

"Oh I know that, dear." Natalie said, treating Casey as though she were a child. "But from my personal perspective... you would have been so much better off if you hadn't of married that stepbrother of yours. You could do so much better."

Casey wasn't phased by this. Natalie couldn't talk her out of loving someone that she'd loved since she was a teenager. That wasn't going to happen.

"Yeah well, from your personal perspective, it's best to take Jayden out of a home that he's comfortable in, a home where there's people who love him."

"I love him." Natalie said, smiling sweetly. "He's my only grandson, and I have a right to raise him. I was only days away from winning the custody battle with Jeff Walker's parents when your husband was granted four year custody the first time. I'm not going to lose to him again."

"Losing, winning... what is this to you, a competition?" Casey cried, no longer able to control her temper. "Jayden's a child, not a prize, Natalie. Maybe it's time you learned the difference between the two."

"Maybe it's time you learn the difference between a husband, and a brother."

"Drop it." Casey said, rolling her eyes. "I get your point. You hate our marriage. But you have brought that up twice, to my knowledge, and I'm sure there's probably been more discussion on the matter that Derek hasn't mentioned to me."

Natalie smirked.

"There has been, yes." she shrugged shamelessly. "But you're right, I shouldn't keep bringing up the same point." she said, causing Casey to nod. "Point is, this is a custody battle, and you need to start accepting that there's a slight possibility that Jayden will be leaving."

Casey's stomach dropped, and her heart clenched, but she tried not to appear weak. Seeming weak would only give Natalie a sense of empowerment. And that was the last thing Casey needed.

"I can face that possibility." Casey said, proud of the way she managed to keep her voice from quavering. "But until that time, Jayden is mine and Derek's son, and he's living here, under our roof, and our control. So I suggest you do some re-evaluating on your current place in Jayden's life."

Natalie's eyes widened at Casey's sudden strong front. She was usually quiet and sweet, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere she had gotten defensive. Of course, that was just the way Casey was, but Natalie had no way of knowing that.

Just as she was about to respond, Derek walked into the kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Caey and Natalie glaring at each other angrily.

"Everything okay?" he asked hesitantly, his eyes darting back and forth between the two women. He crossed the room and opened the fridge, retrieving a bottle of water, and unscrewing the cap., taking a sip. "Um, someone? Anyone want to answer me?"

Casey turned to look at Derek, her gaze softening considerably.

"Everything's fine, Derek." she lied, her tone suggesting that she'd fill him in later. He understood, and fell quiet. "Natalie was just leaving, actually."

The corners of Natalie's mouth twitched, and she looked like she wanted to argue with Casey, or to break off and hit one or both of them. But she merely nodded, forcing a tight lipped smile. She picked up her purse off of the counter and shouldered it carefully.

"Yes, I'll be gone now. I'll be here Tuesday to pick up Jayden. Five o'clock. Make sure he's ready."

Casey nodded, keeping her smile as real as possible under the present circumstances.

"See you then." she said, watching as Natalie walked out of the kitchen.

A moment later, she heard a front door slam, and a car start up outside. She sighed, pressing her hands to her forehead, but Derek grasped them in his, smirking at her.

"Rough day?" he asked, a knowing smirk on his face. She glared at him pointedly, and he chuckled, kissing her hand gently. "It's fine, Case. Only about two and a half weeks left of this nightmare."

"Possibly more." she sighed, frustrated. "Two and a half weeks of temporary custody doesn't mean that this can be solved in two and a half weeks, Derek. It could be longer, and... _ugh_!" she groaned, stomping her foot. "I could just _kill _that woman!"

Derek chuckled, dropping her hands to place his own on her hips gently, and pull her closer.

"I know the feeling, Case." he said, kissing her forehead. "Give it time. This will all work out. Eventually, this nightmare will just be gone."

Casey laughed.

"You really believe it'll be that easy?" she asked doubtfully, raising an eyebrow. "You really think a cutody battle with _Natalie Turner_ will be easily and quickly solved?"

Derek sighed, shaking his head doubtfully.

"Not really, no." he admitted, sounding worried. "But it was worth a try."

* * *

**Reviewers get to throw water balloons at Natalie Turner's head. :) **


	11. Realizations

**Yeah, please don't kill me for the long update. Between school, family stuff, and volunteering, everything's been hectic, but I should be getting back on track after this week. So I'm really sorry. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Chapter Eleven: Realizations**

At ten after eight on Tuesday evening, Jayden's grandmother pulled up in the driveway in her rental car, and let Jayden clamber out of the car on his own, watching to make sure he got in through the front door okay. When he had slammed the front door shut, she drove off, and Derek caught sight of the kid as he was passing through to get to the kitchen. He stopped, leaning against the wall and grinning.

"Have fun with your grandmother?" he asked as Jayden shrugged out of his leather jacket, looking over at him with his hair falling around his eyes.

"It was okay." he shrugged, sounding uninterested. "Went out for supper, and then we went to some nature trail... thing." he said, as he hung his jacket up on the hook. "Nothing too special."

He made his way into the living room, flopping down onto the couch and switching the TV on. Derek hesitated, before following casually, leaning up against the doorframe and keeping his eyes focused on Jayden.

"So do you like her?" he asked, raising an eyberow.

Jayden shrugged, flipping through the channels absent-mindedly.

"She's okay." he offered, sighing. "There's nothing on TV."

Derek ignored the last comment, knowing that Jayden was avoiding the topic, and he crossed the room, sitting down next to the eleven year old.

"Is she nice to you?" he asked, worry pulsing through him. He could handle Natalie's criticsm, and so could Casey. In fact, he was sure that Jayden probably _could_ handle whatever Natalie threw at him, but still... Derek didn't like anybody messing with his son.

Luckily, Jayden nodded his head.

"I guess so." he said, sighing. "She's really... proper... and she doesn't really have a sense of humor... but she's not really mean. She's... tolerable."

Derek nodded slowly as he thought, before taking the remote control from Jayden's hands and flicking the TV off.

"Hey!" Jayden protested, sitting up straighter. "I was watching-"

"You weren't watching anything, fool." Derek said, placing the remote down on the coffee table. "And I need to talk to you. So stop whining and listen up."

Jayden looked annoyed with Derek, but he nodded, sensing that this was something important. There had been a lot of important conversations lately, and they were all becoming used to the seriousness around the house. It grew more and more everyday.

"What's this about?" he asked, shifting to face Derek. "Is everything okay? Did something change in the case that I should-"

"No, no." Derek assured Jayden, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. I just... I want to know how you feel about this."

Jayden raised an eyebrow, looking confused.

"I don't understand what you mean." he said slowly, giving Derek a strange look. "How do I feel about what?"

Derek shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to talk about this, because he didn't want this to happen; not at all. This wasn't fair. Jayden was family. He had been living with Derek and Casey since he was eight years old, and now he was being told that he might not be able to stay there any longer? How could someone just do that? Derek didn't see how Natalie could sleep with a clear concious. However, it was quite apparant that Natalie was quite willing and determined to go ahead with the trial, and Derek would just have to deal with that. And a large part of dealing with that would be getting Jayden's input on the situation.

He took a deep breath.

"Hypothetically, how would you feel if you had to go with your grandmother?" Derek asked, hoping that Jayden wouldn't freak out on him for suggesting the possibility.

Luckily, Jayden had matured over the past four years, and he took this news as easily as possible, clearly keeping in mind that Derek had said 'hypothetically'.

He shook his head, indicating that he didn't like the idea.

"I don't want to go." he said firmly, sounding completely sure of himself. "This is my home, Derek. Wherever you and Casey and Jeff are... I don't want to go to California."

Derek felt relief wash over him, but rushed on, wanting to get everything out in the open.

"I understand that you don't want to go." he said, trying to make sure him and Jayden were on the same page. "But like I said, how would you feel if the courts told you that you _had_ to go to California? How would you react to that?"

Jayden frowned, clearly not enjoying this conversation at all.

"I don't know." he said slowly, narrowing his eyes at Derek.

"Just put yourself in that position-" Derek started to say, but Jayden cut him off, his anger taking over again.

"Put yourself in _my_ position." he said angrily, shaking his head at Derek in frustration. "I could be gone in two weeks, Derek! To someplace that I've never even been to before, with someone I barely even know. Don't you know how it feels to be uprooted like, every few years, and stuck in another home? I moved three times with my Dad, and then I moved in with you, and then we moved to London... but at least those were good changes... but California? I mean, at least when I moved in with you... I knew I was staying with someone who was basically family, but my grandmother she's... she's practically a stranger to me, and I don't want to do it again! I love my school, and my friends, and my family, and I'm on the sports teams... that's all really important to me. I'm eleven, and I may be pretty mature for my age, but this is way too much for me. How do you expect me to handle this? It's not my fault!"

Derek felt his heart ache for the kid sitting in front of him. He was still a kid, and he was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. The whole stability of his life was endangered, and his parents were too caught up in trying to do everything in their power to fix it that they barely had enough time to deal with the emotional affect that the custody battle was having on him.

"Jay... I know it's not your fault. Something like this could never be your fault. You did absolutely nothing wrong and... I'm sorry that you've been feeling so burdened with this. Me and Casey are just trying so hard to find a way out of this that we haven't had as much time as we'd like to help you deal with this."

Jayden folded his arms, leaning back against the couch, seemingly breathless from his little rant.

"It's fine." he mumbled, clearly forcing his words out. "It isn't your fault."

"You don't seem so certain." he said, hating the idea of Jayden blaming him and Casey for this. It wasn't their fault; it had never been there fault... had it?

"Jayden..." he said slowly, a horrible idea occuring to him. Jayden was glaring at the floor coldly, a distant expression fixed on his face. Derek reached over and tilted Jayden's head towards him carefully. Jayden looked into his eyes, his own filled with sadness and hurt. Derek cringed, but went on with his question.

"You don't like... blame me or Casey for this, do you?" he asked, panic racing through his veins. "I mean... I know that I'm _usually _responsible for pretty much anything that goes wrong around here, according to Casey, anyway. But... we don't want this, bud. We really don't. If you could only understand how much we're fighting for custody here..."

"I know." Jayden dismissed quietly, shaking his head. "I get it. I don't blame you guys, okay?"

"But-"

"I just want to stay." he said quietly, sounding so much older than his eleven years. "I don't want to go anywhere."

The two of them sat there in utter silence for a moment, unable to think of anything to say. Derek was scared to say more, for the fear that Jayden would freak on him again. The last thing he needed was to be on rocky terms with Jayden right before a major custody battle. They needed to come off as a strong family, something it seemed that they had to work on a little bit harder. Derek hadn't meant to ignore Jayden as much as they had been... it had just happened. He'd been so busy trying to argue with Natalie that he hadn't stopped to consider the impact that the case could be having on his own son.

Before he could think of anything to say, Jeff bounded into the room, clearly loaded with sugar.

"Daddy!" he cried, throwing himself into his father's arms excitedly.

Derek caught him, wincing as Jeff practically tackled him into the couch.

"Hey, bud." he choked out, trying hard to speak with two year old's arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He coughed akwardly, trying to lift Jeff away from his neck. "Uh, buddy... you can let go now...Jeff?" he said, his face going red. "Uh, Dad can't breathe. Jayden, back me up here."

Jayden took one look at Derek, before rolling his eyes and leaning across his lap to grab the remote. Yawning, he flicked the TV on, propping his feet up against the coffee table casually. Derek wanted to lecture Jayden on this, but he found that he couldn't even draw in the air to breathe anymore. It wasn't uncommon for Jeff to do something like this when he hadn't seen his father all day, and it was equally as common for Jayden to see it as amusing, and only step in to help at the very last second.

"Jeff..." he got out again, tugging desperately at the boy's shirt. "C'mon..."

At that moment, Casey walked in, grocery bags weighing her down heavily. She had her car keys clenched between her teeth, which she immediately dropped onto the endtable in the doorway of the living room. She laid the grocery bags down on the right hand side of the door, before bustling into the room, swatting at Jayden's feet lightly.

"Feet off the table, Jay." she reminded him nicely, digging her cellphone out of her pocket and laying it on the coffee table. She pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and read over it absent-mindedly as she spoke to Derek.

"Derek, did you remember to call the babysitter for tonight?"

Derek remained silent, still under the mercy of his son's deathgrip. He tried to get words out, but Jeff's head was now turned towards the show that Jayden was watching. He seemed to have forgotten that he was practically choking his poor father.

"Derek, answer me." Casey sighed, still not looking up. "I swear to God, Der, if you forgot to call her again, I'll-"

She chose that moment to look up, and she rolled her eyes, seeing that Derek was trapped again. She cringed, darting forwards and attempting to untangle her son from Derek's arms.

"Come on, baby, you're choking your Daddy again." she coaxed sweetly, as she finally managed to free Derek from Jeff's grip. She turned his head away from the TV gently. "Say you're sorry to your father."

Jeff grinned sheepishly at his father, a playful gleam in his eyes.

"Sorry, Daddy." he said, not sounding sorry in the slightest.

Derek smirked, ruffling the kid's hair.

"No problem, bud." he grinned. "I can tell that you're gonna be an athlete already. That was some strong grip you had there."

Jeff grinned proudly as he turned back to the television, but Casey scowled.

"Derek, that's terrible, judging your kid like that." she said, as Jeff's attention returned to the television. "What if Jeff has other interests outside of sports, huh? What if he hates sports? What then, you won't support his talents?"

"Would you calm down, already?" Derek scowled, folding his arms across his chest. "Do I look like an Eight Ball to you? I was not designed for the random distribution of your questions."

Casey rolled her eyes, but he went on.

"I didn't say that, anyway." he explained casually. "If the kid's got another talent, good for him. I'll support it." he trailed off, a smirk creeping onto his features. "But it's gonna be sports, I can tell you that now."

Casey rolled her eyes, before turning to Jayden, who had just tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yes, Jay?" she asked as nicely as possible, still annoyed with Derek. "What is it?"

"How come we have a babysitter tonight?" he asked curiously, his eyes no longer on the TV. "Where are you guys going?"

Casey glanced back at Derek, raising an eyebrow. The truth was, they really just needed a night out together. Since the whole custody business had started, alone time had been limited, and they had both missed being able to be themselves, without any interfering grandmothers, upbeat two year olds, or panicky best friends. They loved the lot of them, with the exception of Natalie, but they needed their alone time, too.

Derek was the one to answer Jayden, seeing as he had a way of wording things more to Jayden's understanding.

"I'm taking Case out." he said rather bluntly, shrugging. "Listen to the babysitter, don't let your brother break anything, and if I get one more hysterical call from Caroline saying that one of you locked her in the hall closet again, I swear that neither of you will see daylight until September."

Jayden raised an eyebrow at Derek, his eyes widening at the possibility of a grounding.

"It was Jeff's idea!" he claimed, causing his younger brother to look up at him with a pout on his lips.

"Nuh-uh!" Jeff whined, looking as though he was going to cry. He hated being blamed for his older brother's pranks, even if he loved being a part of them, which he usually was. Jayden often blamed Jeff, but when it came down to who got in trouble, he always took the fall, whether he'd been the culprit or not. And usually, Casey and Derek didn't have the heart to punish him for his harmless pranks, especially when he was sticking up for his little brother. He just couldn't stand to see his brother in too much trouble.

But that didn't mean they didn't like arguing over it anyway.

"It was so your fault!" Jayden claimed, scowling at the younger boy pointedly.

"No!"

"Yeah it was. We were playing Monopoly and you told her that you needed-"

"Come on." Casey said, grabbing Derek's hand in her own and pulling him up. "Let them sort it out. It was three weeks ago and they still won't tell me who did it. It's not worth the stress."

Derek spared one last look at the two boys, before shaking his head and allowing Casey to lead him into the kitchen. The second she had dropped his hand to close the door, he had leaned up against the counter, and wrapped his hands around hers, pulling her closer and situating her between his legs so that she was practically pressed up against his chest. He leaned down quickly, capturing her lips in his own as gently as possible, trying to keep it sweet. He liked to have her in a good mood before one of their dates; she was more negotiable and sociable that way. He felt her responding to his kiss, placing her hands on his lower chest urgently, but he pulled back after a moment, reminding himself that it would pay off later. She looked disappointed by the abrupt ending of their kiss, but accepted it, trailing her hands down to his again and lacing their fingers together.

"What time is the babysitter coming?" she asked, rubbing small circles on his wrist with her thumb.

Derek shrugged, not really remembering what time he had told the babysitter to be there for.

"I dunno." he offered, trying not to laugh at the disapproving look on her face. "Don't make faces at me, Missy. You've let quite a few things slip your mind in your lifetime; I know you have."

She raised an eyebrow, as though challenging him, and huffed.

"I'll have you know that I only forget things because I have a very hectic schedule." she defended, looking offended.

"You're a perfectionist. Perfectionists tend to let things slip their minds every now and then." he said, smirking.

She shook her head.

"Nuh-uh." she argued, frowning. "That's not it. I've got work-"

"-and you're a perfectionist."

"-of course, I drive Jay to his sports."

"-and you're a perfectionist."

"-plus I watch Jeff all day."

"-and you're a perfectionist."

"-and then I've got to clean up after you half of the time!"

"-and did I forget to mention that you're a perfectionist?" he finished, close to laughter at this point. She scowled at him, and he kissed her forehead, wanting to calm her down. "Relax, baby. I'm not making fun of you. I just think you're a little too..."

Any hint of playfulness instantly left her face, and she pouted. He pushed away the urge to remind her how sexy she was when she pouted at him, and forced himself to concentrate on her words, not on the lips that were speaking them.

"A little too what, precisely?" she asked, clearly hurt. "What's wrong with me?"

Derek smirked.

"Do you want a list?" he offered, but then realized that she was actually hurt by his words. He knew he was definitely off to a bad start on getting her into a good mood for their date tonight. When she tried to pull out of his hold, he gripped her hips gently and pulled her back towards him, using one hand to nudge her chin upwards so he could look her in the eye.

"Look at me." he said gently, seeing as she was staring at the floor sadly. Reluctantly, she did, and he kept a serious face. "I'm sorry, okay? I was only kidding. You're perfect."

She didn't look very convinced, but she managed to whisper;

"Nobody is perfect, Derek."

"Well then you're the closest thing there is." he assured her with a smile, kissing her lips gently. He could practically feel anger radiating off of her, but the second he slid his hands underneath her shirt and onto her smooth skin,, her anger melted away, and she slid her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she responded to his kiss. He smirked against her lips, knowing that he could always calm her down when he kissed her. Well, usually.

Finally, she pushed him up off of her, smirking.

"Go get ready." she instructed him, tugging at the collar of his shirt a little bit. "I plan to have an excellent evening with you, and that involves you looking your very best."

He grinned, brushing his lips against hers for a brief second, before speaking.

"I thought I always looked sexy?" he questioned, cocking an eyebrow at her.

She pulled him a little closer, her laughter vibrating off of his chest.

"You do." she said, grinning. "But... your hair is a mess. And I believe we've discussed that before. What did I tell you about using a brush?"

He sighed, groaning inwardly.

"Do it at least once a day." he mumbled, pulling back. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. Leave me alone, already."

She laughed, and gave him one quick kiss, before allowing him to go on upstairs to change. He could be so moody, but she was forced to admit that his moodswings were awfully adorable.

- - - -

"Seriously, I will give you five bucks just to take one bite of this thing." Derek said with a grin, waving a piece of lobster in front of her. "It's good, I swear it's good."

"But it came from the ocean!" she whined, pouting. "I mean... it had a heartbeat...and it moved, and swam, and-"

"-was alive, just like that poor, innocent cow you're eating." he grinned, motioning towards her steak. "Now try it."

"Nuh-uh." she said, shaking her head and backing further away from him. "Not gonna happen; sorry."

He sighed, pretending to be disappointed. Shoving the lobster into his mouth, he shook his head, as though disappointed in her.

"Fine." he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Women just don't know how to appreciate a good meal."

"I appreciate this meal very much." she said, finishing off the last bit of her steak. "Besides, I'm paying for it."

Derek laughed, shaking his head.

"No you're not." he argued, looking amused. She tilted her head, confused, and he sighed. "Casey, after a couple hundred dates with me, I thought you'd realize that I never let a girl pay. I pay for this, got it?"

Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Are you insinuating that I can't pay for my own food?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because I so can..."

"Shut up and eat your food." he mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, I've never met a girl as difficult to get along with as you."

Casey grinned.

"I try my hardest." she informed him as they stood up, pushing their plates towards the centre of the table. They went up to the counter to pay for their meals (with Derek's money, of course), and then made their way outside, where they began to walk down the road together, since they'd parked a fair distance from the restauraunt. Derek took her hand tightly in his, giving it a gentle squeeze, before looking over at her. He noticed how cold she looked, since she'd left her jacket in the car, and he frowned.

"You cold?" he asked, noticing the goosebumps on her arms. It was almost June, but since the sun was almost down, and Casey was wearing only a t-shirt, it was understandable that she was cold.

She looked up at him, and gave a half-hearted shrug.

"A little." she admitted, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

Derek dropped her hand to unzip his jacket, and after he slid out of it, he stood behind her and slipped the jacket over her shoulders, enveloping her inside of the warm material. He let his fingers linger on her neck for a brief moment, before stepping forward and sliding his arm around her waist again.

"That better?" he asked, loving the soft smile that crept onto her lips. He loved it when he made her smile.

She nodded, blushing.

"Yeah, thanks." she said quietly, leaning into his hold as they came to a stop at a bench, and sat down, since they wanted to enjoy the evening a bit more. Derek had plans on taking Casey to a club later, but he wanted to have some alone time with her too. He always tried to balance their dates out by including private time, and going somewhere public, but it wasn't always easy. He noticed that she had a distinctly worried look in her eyes, and he frowned, using his hold on her to hug her tighter to him.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned. "Everything okay?"

She sighed, chewing on her lower lip. He hated these moments; the ones where she took the time to think before answering that question. He always felt as though she was mad at something he'd done, even if he was usually wrong. Luckily, this time was no different, and she shrugged, placing a hand on his upper thigh.

"I dunno." she admitted, sighing. "I'm just worried about this whole custody thing, you know? I mean... what if we lose? Have you even considered the possibility?"

Derek cringed, tensing a bit. He immediately let a serious look pass over his face, and he stared at her blankly.

"Now isn't the time to think about that." he said firmly, wishing with every fibre of his being that Casey would just drop it.

But this was Casey, and Casey never let anything go without a good discussion.

"Now _is_ the time for it, Derek." Casey argued, shaking her head. "Don't you get it? Every single hour, and minute, even _second..._ it all counts. Our time with him could so easily be cut short the second our custody on him runs out."

"Stop it... please." Derek said, shunning the issue to the side, just like everything else he found difficult. He didn't want to talk about this, any of it. He couldn't deal with the possibility yet.

Casey sighed disapprovingly.

"You've got to face this, Derek." she told him, wishing that he'd look her in the eye, since he'd turned front on, ignoring her. She trailed her hand up to his chin and gripped it urgently, nudging it towards her. He looked into her eyes with his own worried ones, frowning.

"I don't want to face it, Case." he admitted, his voice wavering. "I can't face it, not yet."

She bit her lip, falling silent for a moment. It was clear that she was torn between trying to understand his pain, and trying to make him understand hers. Torn between the two, she spoke up.

"I know it's hard... but it's something we're going to have to face, whether we like it or not." she said, praying that he wouldn't tune her out again. Surprisingly, he didn't.

She let go of his chin, realizing that he was listening now, and she laced her fingers through his, giving his hand a squeeze and turning to look at the path in front of them, scuffing her shoe gently against the ground.

"You know, I sometimes wish..." she started, drawing in a deep breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him watching her patiently, hanging onto her every word. She let the breath out before continuing. "I really wish that Jayden was our biological son. I mean, I don't think of him any differently, but... this uncertainty, this shaky ground, it's so hard to deal with."

Derek bit his lip, knowing what she meant. Jayden being theirs purely through an unstable custody just threw everything into the water. Nothing was permanent, nothing was certain. And that was so scary, even to Derek. He could only imagine what Jayden was going through.

"That's life, Case." he sighed, tilting his head back. "Jeff and Jenna had Jayden, not us. We had Jeff. We have finalized, official, permanant custody over Jeff."

"But Jayden's our son, too."

"It doesn't matter." Derek admitted, as much to her as to himself. "Point is, he was born to different parents... and we've got to accept that. Nothing can change the fact that he's our son, whether he gets taken away or not... but we need to realize that things are what they are, and there's no point in dwelling on things that are beyond our control."

Casey stared at Derek, blinking a couple of times.

"Since when do you say things that make sense?" she asked, confused.

He sighed, giving her a sad smile.

"Since my whole life depended on accepting what I know could happen." he told her, shooting her a furtive glance. "Jayden could be taken away from us, Case. He really could be... and I've just got to accept that, haven't I?"

Casey winced at his honesty, but nodded, willing herself to accept this as the truth as well.

"Yeah, you do." she agreed, her voice shaky. "And I do too, I guess."

Derek dropped her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders gently.

"We'll fight though, right?" he asked, sounding worried. "Whatever we can do to keep him, we'll do it?"

Casey smiled at him, though he could tell it was more of a sad smile than anything else.

"Whatever it takes." she agreed, nodding. "I'll try everything."

Derek let out choked laughter, though nothing was really funny.

"With Natalie involved in this, we're going to have to." he reminded her. "So prepare yourself, Case. We've got a long road ahead of us."

* * *

**Review please :) **


	12. All's Fair In Love and War

**So this is a bit shorter than other chapters, but if I don't update today, I won't get a chance till Thursday. So don't count on an update till then. I've got a ton of projects, and work in between. But I'll try my best :) I hope this makes up for the lack of updating within the past week or so.**

**Anyway, read on. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Life With Derek'**

**Chapter Twelve: All is Fair in Love and War**

"Why do we gotta go to this meeting thing?" Jayden asked, as Derek attempted to straighten out the collar of his shirt for him. "I mean, you guys are the adults. Why can't you go?"

"Because," Derek said, sighing as he gave a little tug on the collar of Jayden's shirt. "Mr.Easton wants you to be there too." he finished, sighing. "My temporary custody on you... it ran out yesterday, and I guess he's going to tell us what will be happening until the final decision is made."

Worry crossed Jayden's face, but he swallowed hard and nodded.

"Okay," he said slowly, sounding uncertain. "So what does that mean? I mean, will I get taken away from you guys or something? Will they let me stay?"

"I don't know, bud." Derek said, straightening up. "I don't see why they wouldn't. You're at home here. I don't think they'll uproot you through the trial. I think they'll wait until the final decision is made."

Jayden nodded, and looked up at Casey, who was holding onto Jeff carefully. Upon seeing that Derek and Jeff were ready, she shifted Jeff to her other hip, and smiled down at him.

"Okay, baby. You behave for Caroline, you hear me?" she said warningly, trying to forget how mischevious he had been all morning. She turned to the babysitter; a tall, blonde fifteen year old girl who lived down the road. She looked as though she would be one of the most popular girls in school, and she was; but she was also very serious about her schoolwork, much like Casey at that age.

Caroline smiled, giving a genuine laugh.

"Don't worry about it, Mrs.V." she said, smiling at Jeff. "He's a little angel."

Derek snorted, glancing at the impish grin on his son's face. Jeff was no angel. He was adorable, sure, but he wasn't known to sit still for long periods of time. Casey looked hesitant, but gave Jeff a quick kiss on the head and passed him off to his babysitter, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Caroline. And tell your mother I said hello."

"Of course." she said, nodding. She tightened her hold on Jeff, and nodded at them. "Good luck with everything. Bye, Jayden."

"See ya." he said, waving at his usual babysitter. It wasn't often that Jeff was left with a babysitter, and Jayden taken along with Casey and Derek. When Caroline babysat, she usually had both kids. But today, Casey, Derek and Jayden had been called to Mr.Easton's office, along with Natalie Turner. Both of their lawyers would be there as well. Derek's temporary custody on Jayden had run out the day before, and the tension was noticeably greater. Everyone seemed more on edge, knowing that anything could happen now. The past two weeks had been hard enough. Jayden had spent the required fifteen hours a week with his grandmother, but he hadn't shown any willingness to go to California, much to Derek and Casey's relief. He still seemed dead set on staying in Ontario with them. And Derek couldn't say he was upset about that,

"See you later, bud." Derek said, ruffling Jeff's hair lightly. "Be good for Caroline, okay?"

Jeff shook his head, grabbing a fistful of Caroline's hair gently, but playfully, and she grinned, attempting to uncurl the boy's fingers from her hair. Derek moved to help her, but she shook her head.

"It's fine, Mr.Venturi." she assured him, laughing hesitantly. "He's adorable, I don't mind."

"Alright, thanks Caroline." Derek said, turning back towards Casey and Jayden, and leading the two of them out to the car.

- - - -

By the time that Derek parked the car in front of the building, they were all pretty much nervous wrecks, even if they didn't want to show it. Derek was quite proud of Jayden, who appeared to be strong, though Derek knew he was a mess. He distinctly saw Jayden slip his hand nervously into Casey's as they walked towards the front door. Derek smiled at Jayden as they waited for the elevator to come and take them upstairs.

"Don't worry, buddy." he assured Jayden, not feeling too confident himself. "This is just a meeting. It's not the trial. Nothing permanent will be decided here today."

Jayden swallowed hard, nodding as the elevator doors opened up and the three of them stepped into the elevator, Casey shooting Derek a very uncertain glance before the doors closed behind them.

When they stepped into the office, Cole was already there, having a chat with Mr.Easton over something. When he saw the Venturis enter the room, he gave them a small smile, trying to remain professional, but assure them that he'd try his best, all at once. Natalie and her lawyer were not present yet, and Derek was glad, because he wanted a moment to ask Mr.Easton what this meeting was about.

Casey took a seat next to Cole, and Derek sat next to Casey, with Jayden on his right. Mr.Easton remained seated at the top of the table, leaving two places opposite the Venturis for Natalie and her lawyer.

"So, Mr.Easton," Derek said, trying his best to look calm. "Tell me. What's this all about?"

Mr.Easton smiled tightly, looking rather grave, something Derek did not take as a good sign.

"I'll let you know once Ms.Turner is-" he was cut off when Natalie stepped into the room, a tall, balding man with a briefcase stepping into the room behind her. Mr.Easton nodded at the two of them. "Ms.Turner; glad you could make it. Take a seat."

"Thank you." Natalie said, sitting down on the opposite side of the table from everyoine else, her lawyer accompanying her. "So would you like to tell us why you called this meeting?"

Mr.Easton nodded, folding his hands on the table in front of him and leaning forwards to be closer to them.

"As you're all aware, Jayden's been spending fifteen hours a week with his grandmother over the past sixteen days, adding up to a total of thirty six hours, I do believe?"

Natalie nodded, and Derek felt Casey's hand slip into his own. He tried to ignore the triumphant look on Natalie's face at this news.

"The temporary custody that the Venturi family had on Jayden ran out yesterday, after the four year mark." Mr.Easton said, scanning through his paper. "To be exact, Jayden has been under the care of Mr.Venturi for four and a half years, but the temporary custody was only finalized four years ago yesterday."

Derek nodded, fiddling with the hem of his shirt with his free hand. He could feel Casey fidgeting nervously next to him, and he gave her hand a squeeze, trying to remind her that this wasn't the trial. No final decisions would be made today. But the question still remained; what was it that Mr.Easton wanted to talk about?

"Jayden," Mr.Easton said, turning the room's youngest occupant. Jayden raised his gaze to meet his social workers. "How have you enjoyed your time with your grandmother?"

Jayden shrugged, fidgeting a little bit.

"It's fine." he offered, staring at his sneakers again. He chewed his bottom lip, and everyone watched him, knowing that he had more to say. Finally, he looked back up, looking worried. "I don't gotta go nowhere today, do I?" he asked, uncertainty clear in his voice.

To the relief of all three of them, Mr.Easton shook his head, signalling that he wouldn't have to leave that day, and Derek bit back laughter at the disappointed look on Natalie's face.

"No, Jayden." he assured the young boy. "You won't be taken anywhere today. You can leave here today and go home with your former gaurdians."

"They're my_ parents_." Jayden snapped defensively, glaring at the man, anger clear in his eyes. Mr.Easton looked taken aback, and Derek couldn't fight the smirk off his face. Jayden was a Venturi, through and through. He wasn't about to let anyone challenge his place in the family, and Derek had never been prouder.

"Alright then..." Mr.Easton said slowly, shaking his head as though he was unaware that Jayden could get so defensive. Derek couldn't blame him. Jayden was usually a very social child, and it took something that deeply affected him to make him angry.

"I've been monitoring some of Mr.Walker's visits with his grandmother, as you all know." he said, glancing down at his sheets. "She seems to fill his needs sufficently while the boy is under her care. We understand, of course, that this behaviour is purely of a temporary nature, and that Ms.Turner has never had to care for him for a period longer than five hours straight." he said, fiddling with his pencil.

Derek glanced up at Natalie, his eyes locking with hers for a brief moment. She did not hold his gaze; she instantly allowed her eyes to dart away, back towards the social worker. Derek hesitated a moment, before following suite.

"I've reviewed all of my notes on Jayden's behaviour and attitude while he is under the care of each gaurdian." he continued, placing his papers down on the table in front of him. "I've consulted with a few other social workers who have had cases similar to this one, and I have come up with a temporary option for you."

Derek sat up a little bit straighter, worry and hope fluttering through him momentarily.

"I've decided that, to be fair, Jayden needs to spend some time under his grandmother's full attention and care." Mr.Easton said, trying to ignore the looks of horror on Jayden, Casey, and Derek's faces. "This is _not_ a permanent decision; I want you to understand that fully and completely. This is a trial period, and will run for two weeks."

Derek paled, and brought Casey's shaking hand up to his lips, kissing it quickly in a failed attempt to comfort her. He couldn't find it in his heart to look over at Jayden, who he was sure was terrified by now.

"This move has worked quite efficiently in previous cases." Mr.Easton explained calmly. "After the two week period, Jayden will be returned to his usual home until the final decision is made. These two weeks will help me to understand more clearly see which home will be more suitable, and whether or not Ms.Turner can fulfill his needs properly."

"Isn't there another way?" Derek asked, his voice wavering on every note.

Mr.Easton spared him a look, before shaking his head sadly.

"The trial needs to be fair, Mr.Venturi." he reminded him, leaning back in his chair a little. "And to be fair, I need to see how Jayden interacts in both homes, and whether or not his needs are being met."

With that said, he turned to Natalie, leaving Derek to sit there in silence, trying to take in everything he'd just heard.

"Ms.Turner," he addressed, and the smug looking woman sat up straighter, smiling sweetly. "You will fly back to your home in California tomorrow afternoon, and Jayden will join you the morning after. I will arrange the flight back for your grandson, and will accompany him on the flight. I'll be staying in California for the duration of the two weeks, and will be making a series of visits to your home; some planned, some unexpected. Just general check-ins, to see how Jayden is doing, if the home is suitable, you know, just to evaluate the home life you'd provide for him should you be granted custody."

Natalie smiled, her gaze flickering across the table as she spoke.

"Thank you, Mr.Easton." she said, her eyes never leaving Derek's. ''I'm sure the two of us will have a great chance to bond over the next two weeks."

Jayden looked away, his lower lip noticeably quivering. Casey shot Cole a desperate look, looking as though she might cry at any given moment.

"Cole..." she said, forgetting to remain professional and address him by his last name. None of them were thinking clearly, anymore. "Cole... please say you can do something. There's got to be another... another way..."

Cole gave Casey an utmost look of regret and sorrow, before shaking his head, shattering the last of their hopes.

"I'm sorry, Case." he responded, sounding as though this was killing him. Derek understood. He knew that Cole hated not being able to help them out of this; that he was already behind on what could very well be the most important case his life. "He's right. This movement has worked well in alot of other cases, before. The courts try and make trials as fair and unbiased as possible and... to witness Jayden in both environments for extended periods of time without interference... well, it's the only way to be totally and completely fair."

Both of them wanted to argue, but deep down, they knew that Cole was right. Allowing Jayden to go to California, even for two weeks, was going to be heart-wrenching and difficult to do, but they both knew that it was fair, and it had to be done. Their legal right over Jayden was gone, so they couldn't exaclty refuse the request, and even if they could, it would make them look like very bad role models to the court, to be promoting unjust and unfair ideas such as that.

Derek sighed, standing up and extending his hand to Mr.Easton, allowing his other hand to break free from his wife's.

"Thank you, sir." he said through gritted teeth.

Mr.Easton nodded, remorse for the family clear on his face.

"Have him at the airport for twelve o'clock on Tuesday." Mr.Easton said, dropping Derek's hand. "School ended on Thursday, am I right?"

Derek nodded, swallowing hard.

"Yeah." he said regretfully. "We'll see you Tuesday morning, then."

Jayden stood up, glancing at his gaurdian fearfully.

"Derek, no..." he said, understanding that Derek was giving in, that Derek was going to let Natalie take him to California. "Please..."

"I don't want to hear it, Jayden." he said firmly, exercising what was left of his parental influence. "You're going to California. Cole's right, and so is Mr.Easton. We need to be fair."

Jayden's mouth hung open; he was clearly stunned by Derek's sudden sense of justice.

"B-But..."

"No worries, buddy." Derek said, allowing a smug smile to creep onto his face as his gaze locked with Natalie's. He swung an arm over Jayden's shoulders, pulling him a bit closer. "Family always counts for something. If the courts are big on doing the right thing, and making sure that everything is run _fairly,_ you'll end up where you belong."

He gave his son a confident smile, before taking Casey's hand, and leading them both from the room, his heart aching, his mind reeling, but his dignity still in tact.

* * *

**So there's chapter twelve. Like I said, I don't think there will be an update until Thursday, at least, but I'll try. After that, school should calm down a bit, lol. Anyways, review please, it may inspire me to write quicker. **


	13. The Venturi Soccer Championship

**Okay, so I know I said yesterday that I wouldn't have this chapter done ( or even started ) until Thursday, but due to a mass avoidance of homework, I was able to do this tonight! -claps hands for the new chapter, and the promise of failure this year in school- hehe. Anyway, this is mostly a family chapter. It's sort of transitional, but whatever. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Chapter Thirteen: The Venturi Soccer Championships**

Derek had completely lost it. He had managed to keep his cool in Mr.Easton's office, and for the entire car ride home. But by the time they had gotten in the front door, and Casey and Derek had gone upstairs to their bedroom, Derek couldn't keep his anger in anymore.

"What the _hell_ does she want a kid for?" Derek mumbled, fumbling violently with the buttons of his jacket. "I bet she doesn't even like kids."

"You don't know that, Der." Casey said calmly, taking a seat on the edge of their bed.

"Oh please." Derek said, waving a hand dismissively before reaching for the button again. "I saw her house. It's totally kid-repellent. Everything in that damn place is white and clean, and pristine and proper. Besides. with all the bullshit she gets on with, she's bound to make a terrible gaurdian. One sport, three TV programs a night, five hours of 'playtime' on Saturdays and Sundays? And that thing about only being allowed to have two phone calls a night?" Derek spat out, speaking of Natalie's list of rules, which had grown steadily throughout the past two weeks. "I mean, come on. He's a child, not a prisoner. He should be allowed to do whatever the hell he wants... within reason."

"Derek, I know it's hard, but we've got to accept it." Casey said shakily, watching as he leaned his head against the windowsill and stared out into the backyard, where Jayden and Jeff were playing on the swingset. He watched as Jayden lifted his little brother up into the baby swing, and push him gently. When Jeff laughed, turning his head to look back at the older boy, Jayden would smile and laugh along with him, pretending as though nothing was wrong. But the moment Jeff would turn away, Jayden's face would darken, and Derek could see the pain there.

"It's getting more and more realistic everyday, Case." he said quietly, knowing that Jayden was thinking the exact same thing at that very moment. He sighed, pressing his forehead up against the glass. "First it could be solved over the phone, then it was 'go to California, Derek; everything will work out'. That was a load of bullshit. Next thing you know, she's wanting to take this to court, then she flies to Canada, then she gets fifteen hours a week with him, and now it's two weeks... I think we know what's coming next."

Casey shook her head, coming up behind him and snaking her arms around his waist, her chin resting lightly on his shoulder.

"Don't talk like that." she told him, kissing his neck gently. "We've got a fair chance."

"And so does Natalie." Derek argued, watching as Jayden lifted Jeff from the swingset. "She's got just as good of as we do of winning this case." he finished, sighing. He stared at Jayden, smiling faintly to himself as the two of them began to argue over something, and Jeff kicked a nearby dandelion at his brother, though it missed his head by a mile.

"Two weeks seems like forever, doesn't it?" he asked, turning away from the window to face Casey. He enveloped her in his arms, holding her closely.

She nodded, smiling sadly.

"Yeah, it does, when it comes to letting your kid go with someone else." she agreed, sound hesitant. "I'm really going to miss him."

Derek bit his lower lip, thinking hard for a moment. He wanted to do something special for Jayden before he left for California. Something that he could remind himself of if he got lonely over the next two weeks. He racked his mind for the perfect idea, and then, it came to him.

Smirking, he let go of Casey, excitement suddenly etched across his face.

"I've got an idea." he said, watching as her eyes lit up with interest. "Go get your address book. I'm going to go and call the family-"

Casey raised an eyebrow as he rushed towards the doorway excitedly.

"Derek, what-"

"Just get it, and meet me back here in five minutes." he said, before darting down the stairs to retrieve the cordless phone.

- - - -

"Unbelieveable." Lizzie laughed, staring around their backyard, which was packed with people. "Absolutely remarkable. How did you manage to throw together a surprise birthday party in less than a day? That's just... wow."

"Well, I did have Casey helping me." Derek reminded her, as though it were obvious. "You know how crazy she goes when she's planning. She doesn't stop until something gets finished. And me... well, let's just say that I've been to quite a few parties. After all, I was the coolest guy in my school. That's because I'm awesome, right?"

Lizzie snorted, but quickly covered it with a cough. She was clearly trying to suppress her private disagreement with that statement. Derek noticed this and frowned, looking towards Marti.

"Marti?" he asked, giving her a grin. "What do you think?"

Marti's eyes widened as she was put on the spot, and she allowed her mouth to open and shut a couple of times in speechless embarassment.

"I, uh... I've got to... what's that, Dad?" she said, grinning akwardly. "You need my help? Uh, coming!"

With that said, she gave a quick wave and darted off in the other direction, where she was assured to find safety from Derek's criticizing stares. Derek scowled, unwrapping his arm from around Casey's waist.

"Sisters." he mumbled under his breath angrily. "They're only cute when they're younger. They hit thirteen, and they're little monsters."

Lizzie's eyes widened, and she shook her head, placing a hand on her hip.

"You didn't just say that!" she growled, clearly disapproving of his voice of words. Derek shrugged, a grin creeping onto his lips.

That was all it took for Lizzie to be tearing across the yard after her stepbrother. Casey laughed, shaking her head and turning towards the right end of the backyard, where Jayden was sitting down by himself, twirling a dandelion between his fingers lazily. He'd just finished playing a quick game of soccer with a few of his friends, but it was clear that he needed some quiet time, too.

Casey placed her plastic cup down on a nearby fold-out table, and made her way towards Jayden, taking a seat next to him on the grass.

"You don't mind me joining you, do you?" she asked, squinting in the sunlight.

Jayden looked up, shaking his head and smiling.

"Nah." he offered, shrugging. "You guys did throw me this amazing surprise party for my birthday, after all. Even if it _is _a week and a half early."

Casey laughed, feeling sadness float through her as she was reminded that Jayden wouldn't be with them for his twelfth birthday.

"We just wanted to make sure you got a chance to celebrate your birthday with us... your family." she explained, resting her chin on her knee. "Derek asked Mr.Easton about staying in contact with you, but he said that contact will be limited to three phone calls a week. So we're going to save one of your calls for your birthday."

Jayden frowned, disregarding her last comment, and concentrating on the first.

"Why can we only talk three times a week?" he asked, confused. "What's the big deal about talking on the phone?"

Casey shrugged, knowing that Jayden would not fully understand the concept of running a fair trial.

"It takes away from your time with your grandmother, and it'll throw off your behaviour, talking to us all the time."

Jayden frowned, still confused.

"This is stupid." he muttered, clearly discouraged. "I don't even _want_ to go. Not for two weeks, not for good, not at all."

"I get that." Casey said, nodding. "But the thing is, you've got to. Me and Derek, we don't have any parental control over you anymore. We make a fuss, you'll probably get taken from us throughout the trial. We're better off staying silent. At least then you'll be able to stay with us from the time you get back until this trial is over."

Jayden looked discouraged, but he nodded slowly, cringing. Casey could tell that he wasn't okay with any of this, not at all. The look on his face was one that he wore very rarely. In fact, the only time that she had seen it prior to the custody battle had been three and a half years ago, as he lay in hospital and silently let the news sink in that Casey and Derek were having a kid. It had been a forced acceptance then, and she knew that the same sort of thing was happening now.

"Are you okay with this?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulders. "It's okay to be scared, you know. I mean, if I were you, I'd be a little bit scared. When I was fifteen years old, I had to move from Toronto to London, and put up with a whole whack of changes."

Jayden winced, leaning back on his elbows and scanning the yard aimlessly.

"It's not the changes I'm afraid of." he shrugged carelessly. "Change has become a natural part of my life by now." he added, with a bitter laugh. "Trust me, you get used to it."

Casey felt her heart wrench for him. He wasn't even twelve yet, and he had already been through so much drama and suffering. Nobody should have to put up with that; especially not a kid who had never done a thing wrong in his life. He had quite obviously been dealt a bad hand in life, but things had been going great for him over the past few years. The thought of it all going down the drain had to be terrifying to him.

"Jay, I understand that you've gone through a lot." Casey said, taking a deep breath. "But that proves how strong you are. Derek and I are so proud of you for coping with everything in your life so well. You're an amazing kid, you know that, right?"

Jayden snorted.

"Yeah, _amazing_." he muttered, sounding as though he wanted to laugh at the very idea. "My teachers say that my grades are absolutely amazing. My coaches say I'm an amazing athlete. You guys say I'm an amazing son."

Casey paused, scrunching her eyebrows together in confusion.

"Well... you are all of those things, Jay." she reminded him, unsure of what he was trying to imply.

He turned his head, his eyes narrowed painfully.

"If I'm so freakin' amazing, then how come everyone but me can see it?" he choked out, on the verge of tears. "Why do I always feel like I'll never belong _anywhere_ I go? Don't you get it, Casey? No matter where I am, it's like I'm _always _uncertain. I'll _never_ fully belong."

"You belong with _us_." Casey said desperately, nodding her head. It was crucial that he understand just how necessary he was to their entire life. "Please, Jayden. Try to understand that. You're a part of our family. You belong, you do!"

"Yeah, and for how long?" he got out, a tear slipping quietly down his cheek. He brushed it away quickly, but he knew Casey had seen it. "Until tomorrow? For another month? Until the trials over? _When_?"

"I can't answer that!" she said, feeling completely helpless to Jayden's situation. "I wish I could, but I can't."

"_Nobody_ can!" he snapped, combing a hand through his hair and bowing his head down to hide his tears. "Nobody could tell me why exactly my mother died. Nobody can tell me why it had to be my father who died in that accident. Nobody knew for certain where I'd go afterwards. And now, nobody knows where I'll end up, or how long I'll be here for. I can't deal with this! It's too much. It's like my whole world is based on this stupid court thing. Doesn't what I want play into this at all? Will there ever be a time when I have control of my own life? It's not _fair_!"

He was ranting and whining and crying now, and Casey knew that he must feel like a complete idiot by now, but she held so much respect for him for having the ability to cry. She enveloped him in her arms, allowing him to cry against her shirt. She whispered words of comfort, allowing her maternal instinct to kick in.

"My friends are gonna see me crying." he whispered fearfully, sounding embarassed. "They're gonna think I'm such a loser."

"Shh..." Casey coaxed, shaking her head. "They know you're going through a rough time, Jay. They're your friends; they'll understand. Besides, it's okay for a boy to cry. Didn't anyone ever tell you that?"

Jayden shook his head, sniffing. His head still rested on Casey's shoulder, and he stared out across the garden, at where thirty or so of his family and friends were still milling around, chatting, laughing, and having a wonderful time. It was just too bad Jayden couldn't enjoy his own birthday.

"If a guy cries at school, the bigger boys always call 'em wimps." he informed her, sounding worried. "I don't wanna be a wimp."

"You are_ not _a wimp, Jayden." Casey said, shaking her head urgently. "You've gone through more than all of them have put together. If anyone ever calls you a wimp... you have my full permission to...to..."

"Knock 'em out?" he suggested hopefully.

Casey laughed and kissed the top of his head gently.

"Only if they make the first swing." she offered, praying that day would never come. "But you can speak your mind to them all you want, 'cause they have no idea what you've gone through."

Jayden smiled and nodded, relaxing against the woman he had come to regard as his mother.

"Thanks." he said, sighing as he looked out across the yard.

And as Casey scanned the yard quickly to find her second son, she could've sworn that she heard a faint murmer of 'Mom' leave Jayden's lips.

- - - -

"That's the last of them, buddy." Derek said, closing the front door of their house happily. "So tell me, did you have fun today?"

Jayden grinned, nodding.

"Loads of fun." he admitted truthfully. "Me and my friends played _five_ games of soccer, and my team won three of them. Isn't that awesome?"

"It sure is!" Derek grinned proudly, before kneeling down to his youngest son. "How about you, Jeffers? Why do you look so down?"

Jeff stuck out his lower lip, looking upset over something.

"Wanna play." he informed his father, glancing up at Jayden for a moment, and seeing the proud look on his brother's face, one that he saw everytime Jayden won a game.

Derek instantly caught onto what Jeff meant. Due to the fact that all of the kids had been older than Jeff, the little boy hadn't really been included in many of the sports activities. George and Nora had been fussing over him for much of the afternoon, and Marti had taken him down the road to the playground once or twice when he got too bored. Derek _had _helped him pitch a ball in a little game of baseball that a few of Jayden's friends had formed out front, and the other boys had caught onto Derek's drift and had congratulated Jeff on his excellent pitching skills several times, making sure he felt included.

But it was quite clear that, right now, he didn't feel included.

Jayden bent down on one knee, dirt still smeared across his jeans from an afternoon of running around and wrestling with his friends.

"We can't have that now, can we?" he said, grinning. "You wanna play a game, buddy?"

Derek turned to the boy.

"Really?"

Jeff looked surprised, and even Derek was shocked. He wouldn't have thought that the kid would want to spend his last night in London for two whole weeks playing a very tame game of soccer with a two and a half year old. But to general surprise, Jayden nodded, grinning.

"Yup." he said, standing up straight and offering his hand to Jeff. "So come on. You'll be on my team. We're gonna beat Derek, big time. Oh, and Casey."

Casey, who had just entered the porch from the living room, stopped dead in her tracks, halfway through drying her hands with a dishtowel.

"Uh, Casey's what?" she asked, swallowing nervously.

Derek reached into the hall closet, extracting one of his old university hoodies from it's hook, and tossing it to her. She caught it, giving him a horrified look.

"What, might I ask, is this for?" she asked, staring down at the navy blue and grey material in her hands.

Derek smirked, picking Jeff up from his spot on the floor.

"That, my dear Casey, is for the first ever Venturi Soccer Championships; and you're on my team. So I suggest, for a change, you listen very carefully and do exactly as I say."

Casey raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on her hip.

"Oh yeah?" she challenged, sounding rather sure of herself. "And since when have I done that? I told you twelve years ago, Derek. I don't listen to anything you say."

Derek smirked.

"You might want to start, then." he suggested, shrugging. Placing a hand on Jayden's shoulder, and shifting Jeff to his other hip, he gave an innocent shrug. "After all, do you really think you can beat the Venturi boys without me?"

Both younger boys smiled triumphantly, and Casey sighed in defeat, pulling the hoodie on over her head.

"Let's get this over with." she said, rolling her eyes.

- - - - - -

"Left, Left, Left, Left what part of _left_ do you _not_ understand?"

"I'm trying!" came the embarassed reply. "But he just... keeps... blocking... my shot!"

"Well try _harder_!" Casey cried from her spot in goal. "Honestly, Venturi; is that all you've got? I can do better than that! Come _on_, before I-"

"_Casey!" _Derek said, whipping around to face her, only to have Jayden snake the ball from under his feet, tripping him in the process. He went flying face forwards, finding himself face to face with the green grass of their backyard.

Casey burst into laughter at her husband's predicament, not even noticing that Jayden had made his way to the front of the goal, and had just kicked the ball right between the markings that Derek had made for goalposts. Jayden cheered, and went to highfive his younger brother, who was playing goal for his side. This left only Derek and Jayden playing in the field, but since they were the most experienced players, it made sense. They were both going fairly easy on their poor, unexperienced goalies.

Derek noticed Casey laughing at his pain, and raised an eyebrow, spitting out the blade of grass that had found it's way into his mouth through his humiliating defeat. If she thought she could laugh at his misfortune and get away with it, she was sadly mistaken.

He pushed himself up off of the ground, grinning wickedly.

"You think it's funny, do you?" he asked, charging towards her carefully, his entire outfit smeared with grass-stains and mud. "We'll see how funny it is when you're washing _two_ muddy outfits tonight!"

With that, he tackled her (gently, of course), and wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from falling. He spun her around in circles, laughing as she clutched onto his back desperately.

"Der_-ek_!" she cried helplessly, half laughing and half begging. "Come on; I'm sorry, okay? Let me down! You're going to drop me!"

Derek laughed, glancing down at Jayden.

"What do you think, Jay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. "I think she's disrespected how hard athletes work, don't you think? Demanding plays, laughing at my obvious misfortune... she deserves it, right?"

Jayden paused, chewing his lower lip carefully.

"Actually," he said, sounding fairly hesitant. "She was right; going left would've worked." he said, ignoring the offended look on Derek's face. He grinned sheepishly, before shrugging. "And it _was_ kinda funny to watch you fall like that."

Derek blinked at Jayden, trying to let the kid's words sink in. It only took him a moment, before he granted Casey her freedom, and was chasing after his oldest son.

Jayden let out an almost inaudible 'eep', before tearing across the yard, trying to escape Derek.

"Come on, Derek!" he cried, not once pausing. He knew Derek would show no mercy should he stop for even a moment. "I didn't mean it! You know I'm on your- umph!"

He was cut off when Derek caught up to him, and picked him up, tossing him over his shoulder. It only took him all of two seconds to lose his balance and fall forwards into the grass, only a foot or so from where Casey was already lying, watching the others with interest.

"See, _that's_ what you both get for messing with Derek Venturi." he said, panting heavily.

There was a moment of silence, before the three of them burst into laughter. It only took a moment for Jeff to leave his spot in the goalpost, realizing that the game was over, and join the rest of his family on the grass. He flopped onto his stomach, grinning at the rest of them.

"I win." he decided, with no real proof whatsoever.

They all decided, however, to let him cherish the victory that neither team had really earned, and Jayden laughed, ruffling his brother's hair.

"You sure did, Jeff." he said proudly, grinning. "Awesome job, buddy."

Jeff grinned proudly, and Derek sighed, wrapping an arm around Casey's waist, and pulling her against him, kissing her temple lightly. Jayden stretched out, his head resting on Derek's knee, and Jeff mimicked his older brother, laying his own head on Jayden's knee.

And as they all struggled for much needed breath and relaxation, Casey, Derek and Jayden couldn't stop the subconcious thoughts that were racing through their heads as they lay there. This may be one of their very last nights as a family. And that killed them, it really did. But they all knew there was no point in dwelling on it. Thinking about it wouldn't do any good.

All they could do now was enjoy the night, and bask in the glory of having one heck of an awesome day.

* * *

**Okay, so this was mainly a cute family chapter. It's a happy chapter, and you might want to cherish that, because like I always say at some point, there are bumpy times ahead. Not immediately following this chapter, but they will come :) Anyways, review please. It only takes a second and makes my day, not to mention inspires me to write more. **


	14. Saying Goodbye

**So here's another update. :) Hope you enjoy. Thanks to everybody who has been reviewing; please continue to do so.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Saying Goodbye**

The next morning, Derek woke up feeling totally sick to his stomach, all of the happiness from the day before completely gone. He didn't want to face the day ahead of him. He knew how hard it was going to be to let Jayden get onto that plane with Mr.Easton. He knew it would be hard on everyone. Him, Casey, Jeff, and Jayden. Especially Jayden. If Derek was going to be lonely with Jayden gone, he could only imagine how lonely Jayden was going to feel when he lost the only family he had left to go and live with the grandmother he barely knew. And little Jeff, too young to properly understand what was really going on, would have to watch the only brother he had ever known get taken away from him. How could Derek explain something like that to a toddler?

A small part of him kept reminding him that this was only two weeks, and that he might be overreacting. But a larger, more sensible part of him realized that Natalie's time with Jayden had slowly been progressing. One dinner. Fifteen hours a week. Two weeks. He feared what came next. There was only one final step left to take, and Derek knew that he'd never be ready to take it.

There was already sunlight pouring in through the bedroom window, and Derek yawned, before rolling over on his side to see Casey lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, emotionless. He knew that the same thoughts were running through her head. He smiled as best as he could and brushed his hand gently against her cheek to get her attention. Feeling Derek's hand on her face, she turned her head a bit to look at him. Upon seeing that he was awake, she offered him a small smile and rolled onto her side, facing him., She tucked her hand underneath her head loosely.

"Good morning." she said softly to her husband, smiling as best as she could.

"I don't know what's so good about it, besides waking up to you." Derek sighed. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this, Casey. How can I just watch him go off with someone who barely knows him? Jayden is only eleven years old. He's been through enough in his lifetime. I mean he never got to meet his mother, his father died, then he had to adjust to life with me, and then the accident. After that everything was so complicated with moving and the wedding and Jeff being born. I just feel like uprooting him from one home to another _again_ is going to be really hard on him."

"Derek, he's a strong kid; he can handle it." Casey reminded him with a soft, yet forced, smile. "It's only for two weeks, and then he'll be back."

"Yeah, but for how long? What if they take him away from us for good?" Derek asked fearfully. His voice dropped to a whisper as he continued. "He's our _son, _Casey. Just as much as Jeff is, in my opinion."

"I know he's our son." Casey agreed, nodding her head. "Trust me, I don't value Jeff over Jayden whatsoever, or vice versa. In my mind, they are both our children, no matter what."

Derek relaxed a bit under the knowledge that Casey had accepted Jayden as her child just as much as she had with Jeff. He had already known that, of course, but his mind was so messed up that he felt like he couldn't be sure on anything right now. Everything in his life felt unstable, like it could be snatched from him at any given second.

Derek was about to say something when a voice from the foot of their bed caught his attention.

"Daddy?"

Derek looked down to see Jeff standing near the foot of their bed in his pajamas, holding onto one of his toy airplanes in one hand and rubbing his eyes sleepily with the other. Derek immediately put on a calm front for the sake of his son, and grinned. There was no need of worrying Jeff. He shifted to the edge of the bed and lifted the small boy up into his arms, before returning to the top of the bed and laying Jeff down between him and Casey.

"Hey, little man." he said, trying his best to sound cheerful. He didn't want Jeff to suspect that anything out of the ordinary would be going on. "How'd you get out of your bed? You've still got those gaurdrails on there."

"Jay." Jeff explained, flashing his father a sheepish sort of grin. He paused for a moment, before frowning, and glancing back and forth between each of his parents. "He leaving?"

Derek had to fight back the anger that he felt bubbling up inside of him at the mention of Jayden leaving. This shouldn't be happening. This wasn't necessary.

Casey, who was managing to keep her emotions in check more than Derek was, raised an eyebrow, surprised that Jeff had even remembered that today was the day Jayden would be leaving. Derek bit back the urge to lie, and nodded his head slowly.

"Uh, yeah, Jeff, he is." he got out, sharing a furtive glance with Casey. Jeff bit his lip thoughtfully, and glanced down at the toy airplane in his hand. Turning to his mother, he smiled.

"Me too?" he asked her, using his best pleading voice. "Please!"

Casey's face fell, and Derek gave her a sympathetic look, knowing how hard it was to shoot down Jeff's pleading. The little boy stuck his lower lip out into a pout. A look of realization washed over her face and she shook her had as though trying to get rid of a thought.

"He really is your son, Derek." she commented, with the faintest trace of a smile on her features. "He's got the whole begging thing downpat."

Derek managed to actually smile at this. He laughed, and ruffled Jeff's hair.

"Yeah, he's such a Daddy's boy." Derek laughed. Jeff scowled and his hand flew to his hair again, putting it back into place. Derek shrugged, and looked up to see Jayden standing in the doorway. He felt his heart clench at the thought that this could very well be one of the last times he would be able to look up and see Jayden standing there, waiting for breakfast, or needing money, or wanting a drive somewhere. He really had taken all of those times for granted over the years. It killed him that it was taking something like this to make him appreciate how much he'd miss Jayden.

Jayden was leaning up against the doorframe, clad in his pajamas, trying to act as though he was perfectly okay. Derek, however, knew him well enough to know that he wasn't okay. He knew that, on the inside, he was begging for someone to do something; for someone to find a last minute escape. It killed Derek to know that Jayden needed help, and he couldn't do anything for him. If there was one thing Derek wanted, it was to always be able to give Casey, Jeff, and Jayden the help they needed, when they needed it. And now that he couldn't, he felt so pathetic, so helpless. It made him feel more insecure than he had ever thought to be possible.

He knew that he had to stay strong for Jayden, though; so he forced a smile and motioned for Jayden to come over. Reluctantly, Jayden pushed himself up off of the doorway, not saying a word. He made his way across the room, and perched himself on the edge of the bed, looking fairly nervous.

"Morning, Jay." Casey said, offering him a soft smile. It was a sign of Casey's natural maternal atmosphere that Jayden returned her greeting with an actual smile.

"Morning." he replied, scratching the back of his neck akwardly. "Are you guys coming downstairs anytime soon? I've been up for hours."

Derek was about to reply, when he caught sight of the alarm clock out of the corner of his eye. His eyes widened, and he looked back up at Jayden with confusion etched across his features.

"It's only nine o'clock, Jayden." he noted, raising an eyebrow. "Just how long have you been up?"

Jayden trailed his fingers along the edge of their bed for a moment, as though he wanted to avoid answering the question. Derek, however, waited patiently, and Jayden sighed, knowing that Derek wouldn't give up until he got an answer out of him. So, a few moments later, he mumbled something under his breath, almost inaudible, so Derek had to ask him to repeat it.

"Four o'clock." he repeated, avoiding Derek's gaze. "I kept waking up, and finally I just got up."

Derek nodded understandably, knowing that Jayden probably had too much on his mind to even get an hours sleep. He had to give him credit for getting to sleep. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, before he turned back to Jayden.

"Do you have everything packed?" he asked, half hoping that he wouldn't, and that they'd have to rush and Jayden would miss the flight. But when Jayden nodded to show Derek that he had already packed his belongings, Derek couldn't help but feel it was for the best. If he didn't bring Jayden to the airport on time, Mr.Easton would probably assume that the Venturis were trying to interfere with the trial. Besides, the man would just reschedule the flight. If it had to happen at all, it was just as well to get it over with.

"Yeah." Jayden sighed sadly, frowning. "It's all in my room."

Derek yawned, sitting up a little straighter, and untangling Jeff from his arms. He clapped a hand on Jayden's shoulder, and gave a forced smile.

"Come on, then." he said, rubbing his eyes sleepily with his free hand. "Let's go bring it all downstairs. Maybe Casey will take those ten minutes and start some breakfast."

Casey raised an eyebrow at him, as though she wanted to argue, but she saw Jayden's eyes light up, and refrained from speaking.

"Can you make chocolate chip pancakes?" he asked hopefully, grinning. "Those are my favourite."

"Ooohhh, mine too!" Derek said in a childlike voice, grinning down at his wife. Casey rolled her eyes, and shrugged.

"Fine." she said, sounding annoyed. "Honestly, boys are so lazy."

Derek chuckled, before leaning down to kiss her forehead. He ruffled Jeff's hair playfully before climbing out of bed, and leading Jayden from the room.

- - - -

"Alright Jay, you grab that bag, and I'll take this one."

"Should I take anything?" Casey asked as she unbuckled Jeff's carseat.

Derek shook his head, but then realized that his head was buried within the trunk as he dug for belongings. He pulled himself out of the enclosement, and looked up at Casey, shaking his head successfully this time.

"You take Jeff, we'll take all of this." he said, motioning towards the bags. "We're men, we're built for this sort of thing."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, than Jayden pulled the largest bag from the trunk, and practically toppled to the ground. Derek gave him a disappointed look, before shaking his head and extending a hand to help him up. Casey had an amused smile on her face, and Derek frowned.

"Bad timing, Jay." he sighed, tossing two bags over his shoulder easily, and closing the trunk at the same time as Casey lifted Jeff from the car. "When around women, always try to come off as macho."

"M-Macho, yeah..." Jayden stammered out, struggling under the weight of his one bag. Derek rolled his eyes and led his family through the front doors of the airport.

Forty five minutes later, when Jayden had gone through check-in and security, Derek and Casey were sitting in the lounge of the waiting room in Arrivals. He had his arm slung around her shoulder lazily, and her head was resting on his shoulder. Jayden was giving Jeff a piggyback around the room, stopping to look at all of the miniature airplane models that were displayed in glass cases around the room. They watched as Jayden picked up speed, running off towards the next one.

Casey's maternal instincts kicked in as she saw some of the bags that people had placed down along the edge of the wall as they waited for their plane to arrive. It would be so easy for Jayden to trip over one of the bags while not paying attention. And quite frankly, Casey wasn't exactly in the mood for watching Jayden fall facefirst into the marble floor, and Jeff go flying through the air.

"Don't run, please." she called out to her son, who ignored her. She sighed; she had a tendency of not speaking loud enough to be heard. She smacked Derek's chest, yawning. "Derek, tell them to stop running."

"Hmm?" he murmered, opening his eyes for the first time in five minutes. He remembered what she had said, and nodded. "Oh, right; I'm on it. Oi, you two; stop your running."

"Sorry." Jayden called out.

Casey stared at Derek in awe, shaking her head as his head fell back against the chair again, his eyes fluttering shut.

"How do you even do that?" she asked in amazement. "I speak just as loudly as you do, and they never listen to me."

Derek yawned, unmoved. His eyes remained shut as he answered.

"I dunno, people just listen to me." he said, shrugging. "I don't question it."

Casey rolled her eyes, and moved in closer to Derek, sighing. She watched Jayden spin Jeff in a small circle, grinning as though nothing was wrong.

"He's such an amazing big brother." she admired happily. "Really, he is. It sort of reminds me of you and Marti. You were always great with her."

"Yeah, well... she's my Smarti." he shrugged, stroking her hair gently.

Casey laughed softly, smiling.

"She hates it when you call her that." she reminded him, sighing. "Well, in front of her friends, anyway. I don't think she really minds it otherwise."

"Meh." Derek dismissed, sounding completely uninterested. "As I've told her a million times; she called me Smerek in front of my firends when I was her age. I have every right to do it right back to her now."

Casey sighed, knowing there was no point arguing with Derek.

Just as she was about to ask him what time Mr.Easton was supposed to come, the other man walked into the room, a single bag clutched in his hand. It was weird to see Mr.Easton outside of his suit and tie. Today, he simply wore black jeans, and a blue button-up shirt. She could only guess that accompanying an eleven year old boy on a lengthy flight to California was not to be considered 'professional'. Besides, you had to be comfortable while on such a long flight.

He intantly spotted them, and started towards them. Casey nudged Derek's shoulder gently, trying to get his attention.

"Sit up." she hissed, frowning. "Mr.Easton's here."

"Big deal." Derek muttered, but sat up, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. Mr.Easton stopped in front of them, and Derek gave a forced smile. "Hey."

"Hello." Mr.Easton said, his professional tone not matching his casual appearance at all. He watched as Derek and Casey stood up, their hands linking immediately. "Is Jayden ready?"

Derek ran a hand through his hair, nodding.

"Yeah, he's right over there." he said, motioning towards the nearest airplane display. "Jayden, over here, now."

Jayden looked up, his hair still falling around his eyes. The laughter died away quickly, and the smile drained from his lips. He frowned, paling a bit. It was like the arrival of the social worker had completely changed his entire attitude. He raised his gaze to meet Derek's, allowing Jeff to slide off of his back slowly. He clasped his younger brother's hand, and wandered over towards the three adults.

"Hey..." he said slowly, glancing up at Mr.Easton fearfully. The sound of the first boarding call could be heard overhead, and Mr.Easton gave him a solemn look.

"We have to board." he informed the younger boy, looking grim. "Are you ready?"

Jayden looked up at both of his parents, as though begging them to let him stay, begging them to refuse this to happen. It was only two weeks, but it was quite obvious that he was desperate to get out of this situation.

Casey and Derek seemed to realize this at the same moment, for they both leaned down at the same time, each grasping him in a tight, one-armed hug. Jeff stood off to the side, looking up at Mr.Easton uncertainly. He wasn't one to automatically warm up to brand new people, so he was studying Mr.Easton with a certain level of apprehension.

Derek let go of Jayden to allow Casey to have a moment to say goodbye to him. She smiled, nudging Jayden's chin upwards so she could look him in the eye.

"Be good, okay?" she said, smiling sadly. "I know that's hard for you, sometimes. But..." she dropped her voice to a whisper. "We don't need Mr.Easton thinking that we've raised you to be some little troublemaker. It's okay around me and Derek, but don't drive your grandmother crazy, alright?"

Jayden looked hesitant, but he nodded, swallowing hard. Casey knew how close he was to breaking down, and she sighed, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you." she assured him, sadness floating through her. "Be good."

She heard him sniff, and she softened, leaning in closer to whisper something that she hoped the rest of them wouldn't hear.

"Remember what I told you." she whispered quickly. "It's perfectly okay for a boy to cry."

Jayden nodded, pulling back, and Derek, who had heard what Casey had said despite her obvious effort to hide it, was proud to see that Jayden was holding back his tears like a man. Derek would never call his own son a wuss for crying, because he understood that, at some point, everybody cried, even him. But he was proud of Jayden's control over his emotions, nonetheless.

"Thanks, Casey." he said softly, smiling at her. "I'll keep it in mind..."

"Love you." she said, kissing the top of his head quickly.

He blushed, but the smile stayed on his face.

"Love you too." he said, rolling his eyes, before turning to Jeff, kneeling down to his level.

"Make sure to drive them absolutely _nuts_ while I'm gone, alright?" he requested, a playful smile on his face. "I promise, when I get back, we'll pull off a few good pranks together, alright? Try and think of some while I'm gone, and I'll do the same."

Jeff grinned, happy to be included in some of Jayden's pranks. They really were Jayden's pranks, as Jeff was too young to make up his own. He usually just went along with whatever Jayden told him to do.

Before Jayden could even extend his hand for Jeff to highfive, the smaller boy reached out a hand hesitantly, biting his lower lip. Jayden looked surprised, but he grinned, high-fiving Jeff, and pulling him into a hug.

"See you, little man." he said, before standing up to face the last member of his family, the one he had known the longest.

"See you, Derek." he said, giving a half-smile, one that he was clearly forcing. "I'll uh... I'll really miss you."

Derek's removed his hands from his pockets, nodding in agreement.

"You too, bud." he said, trying his best not to show too much emotion. "I'll uh... I'll..."

"...see you later?" Jayden suggested, extending a hand to Derek and grinning.

Derek chuckled sadly, before grabbing Jayden's hand and pulling him into a brief, one armed hug, closing his eyes briefly to acknowledge the feeling of having his whole family around him at once, for what was going to be the last time in two weeks. He realized that it wasn't too long of a time to be away from Jayden, but another part of him realized that every second that he had with Jayden was so valuable now, that he couldn't bear the thought of losing even a moment of it to Natalie Turner.

"Don't annoy Casey too much without me." Jayden reminded him as their hug broke apart. "You know it's better with all the Venturis there, right?"

Derek nodded, fighting back the heart-wrenching emotion that was building up inside of him.

"I annoy her simply by exsisting... but it won't be the same without you there." he laughed, before looking back up at Mr.Easton, who had backed off a couple of feet to give the family a little bit of privacy. Jayden drew in a shaky breath, before picking up his smallest bag, and taking a few steps backwards.

He gave an akward sort of shrug, and sighed.

"I guess I'll see you in two weeks, then." he said, sounding nervous. "I'll miss you guys. Don't forget to call... please..."

There was desperation in his voice, almost as though he was scared that they'd forget to call him, and he'd be completely cut off from their lives for the next two weeks.

But he didn't have anything to worry about. Casey shook her head, a few tears in her eyes.

"We won't." she said, trying her best to smile. "Try to have some fun. But be safe. Wear sunblock, it's California. And don't spend all your time indoors. Listen to what your-"

"Case, you keep rambling like this the poor kid will miss his flight." Derek chuckled, privately wanting to warn Jayden of all these things himself. He motioned for Jayden to follow Mr.Easton, and Jayden complied, giving them a half-wave.

Derek put an arm around Casey, knowing that he had no fear in showing emotion, for she was close to tears. Jeff's hand was clasped in Derek's free one, but Derek suddenly felt it slipping away from his. He looked down just in time to see Jeff running towards Jayden.

"Jay!" the younger boy called out, running clumsily towards him. Jayden turned around, before seeing his younger brother there, and kneeling down next to him, his eyes filled with concern.

"What is it, buddy?" he asked gently.

Jeff wrapped his arms around Jayden's neck, squeezing tightly. Jayden shot Casey and Derek a pained look, one that signalled how much it hurt him to do this. Forcing himself to look away from his parents, he wrapped his arms around the toddler's body, hugging him back. He pulled away after a moment, motioning for Jeff to go back to his parents.

"Go on." he said, before straightening up.

Sparing them one last look, he turned and made his way towards the terminal. He handed an attendant his ticket, and waited for a brief second for Mr.Easton's ticket to be taken. He didn't care look back at his family, because he knew he'd end up running back. So a moment later, Mr.Easton made his way into the terminal and, with a sad look on his face, Jayden followed after, the door closing behind it, the bang of it running through their minds again, sadness floating through them with every passing second.

They watched as, twenty minutes later, Jayden's flight took off, with Jayden on it. Derek kissed Casey's temple lightly, knowing that she wasn't taking this well.

"He'll be fine, baby." he assured her confidently. "He's a big boy; he can handle this."

Derek watched as the plane got farther off on the horizon, becoming a tiny little dot in the distance.

Just like their hopes.

Derek sighed, realizing that their chances of winning were slowly becoming very, very slim.

"Even if I can't." he finished, his voice a low murmer that he was sure neither Casey or Jeff could hear.

* * *

**So there it is; review please! It inspires me to write more.**


	15. Taking Sides

**Okay, so this chapter takes place in California, because I felt that a description of Jayden's life with his grandmother needed to be added in. The visit will only take 1-2 chapters after this, because I don't want to stretch it out too much, for there is far to go yet. A few points to keep in mind for this chapter. Jayden's grandmother lives in a very small suburb, so most of the people there know each other, and know about each other's lives, which will explain why some of the people at the end of the chapter know what they know about Jayden's life. And also, the second group of people (which will make sense when you get there) they are not 'poor', they are merely a step behind the suburbians (aka people like Jayden's grandmother). Okay, I'll stop my rambling now. Read on.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Taking Sides**

"Here we go." Natalie said, swinging a door open to reveal a rather plain looking bedroom. "This is where you'll be staying."

Jayden stepped into the room, throwing his bag down onto the floor carelessly, and looking around. The walls were a pale blue, while the carpet was a dark blue, and the comforter of the bed was white and blue to match. He tried to wrap his mind around the fact that there was barely anything there, but he couldn't.

Natalie seemed to read his mind, and smiled.

"Feel free to decorate." she said, waving a hand dismissively. "Personalize it. If there's anything you need..."

"It's only two weeks." Jayden said, shrugging as his grandmother's face darkened. "I'll manage." he trailed off for a moment, thinking. "But would you mind if I put a few posters up or something?"

Natalie took another step into the room, glancing up at the almost bare walls around her. She raised an eyebrow, before turning back to Jayden.

"What sort of posters?" she asked curiously, watching as Jayden lifted his bag up onto his bed, shrugging.

"I dunno." he said, thinking. "I've got two of mine with me. Taking Back Sunday, and All American Rejects?"

"Oh heavens, no." she dismissed, shaking her head in disapproval. "I won't have any of that nonsense going on. That sort of music, it's distasteful."

Jayden frowned, placing his poster back into his bag sadly.

"I like it." he said, shrugging. "What's wrong with it? Everyone else I know listens to it."

Natalie chuckled, and Jayden couldn't help but feel completely looked down upon. He didn't understand how Natalie made him feel like nothing more than a child, while Derek and Casey could make him feel like just another part of the family.

"Just because everyone else likes something, doesn't mean you've got to follow the trend." Natalie advised him, shaking her head. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with the poster that's already in here, is there?"

Jayden glanced up to see the poster that he hadn't seen before, and he frowned, his eyes widening. He turned back to his grandmother, looking horrified.

"It's Mozart." he said pointedly, figuring that his dislike for the poster should be obvious. But Natalie gave him a searching look, as though she had no idea what was wrong with this statement.

"Mozart is a very cultural figure." she informed him, looking quite sure of herself.

Jayden snorted.

"Yeah, in Tiny Tim's age, maybe." he muttered under his breath, and his grandmother shot him a warning look.

"What was that?" she asked, sounding as though she already knew perfectly well what he had said.

Jayden covered his laughter, shaking his head, and forcing a serious look.

"Nothing, Mozart is fine." he said, remembering that he was only going to be here two weeks. He could deal with it for that long. "I'm going to unpack, okay? I'll come downstairs when I'm done."

"Alright." she said, smiling sweetly. "Come on downstairs when you're done unpacking."

Jayden nodded, and his grandmother left the room, closing his bedroom door behind her. Jayden watched as a calander on the back of the door swung behind her. He squinted to see what the photo on the front of the calander was, and he rolled his eyes when he saw that there was flowery imprints scrawled across each page.

"Flower of the month." he muttered, slamming his suitcase shut, and shoving it under his bed. "Just freakin' great."

He flopped down onto his back, feeling a headache coming on. He pressed his hands against his forehead, frustrated and unexcited.

"This should be fun."

- - - -

"Do you want another tea bun?" Natalie asked Jayden, as she buttered herself a roll. "There's plenty there, and I can get Jasmine to make more."

Jasmine was her kitchen aid. It would figure that a woman such as Natalie would have a kitchen aid that came along once a day for meals, and a maid that came twice a week for general cleaning. Jayden didn't understand why she would need this sort of help, when she lived alone, and she was perfectly capable of doing these tasks herself. Then again, she had the money, and she did love elegance. Jayden shook his head, propping his head up against his elbow on the table, and slouching over. He poked his spoon around in his soupbowl, wordless.

Natalie frowned, and continued to eat her own lunch.

"Sit up straight, please." she said sternly, noting his slouched posture. "Don't play with your food. And please stop kicking your feet off of the chair. It's bad manners."

Jayden's eyebrows raised at her flurry of suggestions, but he did as she said, attempting to do whatever she wanted. He reminded himself that it was only two weeks. Each time that he had the urge to say something snappy to her, he remembered Casey's last words to him.

_'We don't need Mr.Easton thinking that we've raised you to be some little troublemaker. It's okay around me and Derek, but don't drive your grandmother crazy." _

So Jayden fought back his rude remarks- every last one of them, and forced himself to finish off the rest of his soup. As he swallowed down the last bit of the substance, Natalie smiled at him.

"So do you like it here in California, so far?" she asked him hopefully, drinking a bit of her tea. Jayden couldn't help but feel like he was at some seniors tea party. The soups, biscuits, tea-buns, and teas were a little too much for him. He was used to just having a casual meal thrown together by whatever Casey could find around the kitchen. And he liked it that way.

He shrugged, not having enough knowledge of the place to properly answer.

"I don't know." he offered, biting his lip. "I've only been here a few hours. It's really warm."

"Yes, well, you'll get used to it." she assured him, shrugging. "You'll find that it's actually quite nice once you're around it everyday." she paused, before a thought occured to her. "You can take a trip down to the beach later, if you'd like. I think you'd like it down there."

"Are there other kids my age down there?" he asked, perking up a bit in the hopes of meeting a few kids that might be able to make these two weeks easier.

Natalie poured up some fresh tea, and opened a packet of sweetner, mixing it into the beverage. Frowning, she took a sip of it.

"Yes, I suppose there would be." she offered, sounding hesitant. "You'll want to watch who you befriend around there, though. Most of them are respectable, from families around here. But there are other kids down there from the other side of town."

Jayden shrugged, confused.

"What's wrong with the other side of town?" he asked, recalling from their drive over there that the houses on the other side of the town had been smaller than his grandmother's, but quite nice all the same. No different that his home in London.

Natalie, however, clearly did not share his opinon.

"There's two types of people around here, Jayden." she chuckled, making him feel like an idiot once again. "You're best off sticking with the kids around here."

Jayden desperately wanted to argue with her. He had never been real great with self-control in terms of his anger, but right now, he knew he had to behave. Casey had asked him to, and he didn't want to disappoint her. So he bit back every negative comment floating through his mind, and nodded, pushing back his chair.

"I'm going to head down there, now." he said, pushing his chair in again. He turned, remembering Casey's other words of advice to him. "Do you, uh, have any sunblock?"

Natalie nodded, motioning towards the hallway just outside the dining room.

"Hall closet, third shelf." she offered. "Be sure to be home by suppertime. If you need anything, ask Leo in the tourist shack to call Ms.Turner. He knows my number."

Jayden nodded, before darting off towards the hall closet, eager to get out of his grandmother's house, and somewhere where he could wander freely, without having to listen to his grandmother's foolish rantings.

- - - -

"Hey, kid. You lost?"

Jayden turned at the sound of a voice behind him, sounding slightly older than his own. He was instantly face to face with another boy, who looked to be about thirteen years old. His hair was dark brown, and fell around his eyes in a messy sort of way. His face was covered in freckles, and his skin was quite tanned, from spending so much time on the beach, Jayden guessed. He was dressed in dark blue cutoff capris, and a white and blue tye-dyed t-shirt. His casual appearance made Jayden feel quite comfortable, based on the fact that he himself was wearing black shorts and a red t-shirt, but he couldn't help but feel extremely pale compared to the Californian boy in front of him.

Coming to his senses, he cleared his throat.

"Uh, no." he said, shaking his head. "Not lost. Just, um..."

"A tourist?" the kid suggested, grinning.

Jayden blushed, but nodded, shrugging his shoulders.

"How could you tell?" he asked, squinting in the bright sunlight.

The other boy chuckled in amusement, brushing a strand of hair away from his eyes, which Jayden could now see were a chocolate brown colour.

"You've got an accent, Canadian if I'm right, you've got the worst tan I've seen all day, no offence, and you're standing there aimlessly, like you haven't got a clue where you're going." he offered shamelessly. "You know, I just took a shot in the dark. 'Scuse me if I'm wrong."

Jayden shook his head, finding himself grinning despite the boys critical words.

"Nah, you're right." he admitted, laughing slightly. "I'm staying with my grandmother for two weeks. And, right again, I'm from Canada. Ontario, to be exact. My name's Jayden Walker."

"Logan Ryan." he offered, sticking out his hand, which Jayden instantly shook. "How long you been here for?"

As they dropped each other's hands, they began to walk down the beach, walking as slowly as possible to keep things at a casual stroll.

"I got in this morning." Jayden explained dully, not sounding all too enthusiastic, something that Logan took notice of immediately.

"You don't sound too excited to be here." he said, raising an eyebrow. Jayden remained silent, and Logan nodded. "Another lucky guess, right?"

Jayden was surprised and a bit taken aback at this boy's ability to predict everything before he said it, but he nodded.

"I guess you could say that." he admitted, frowning. "No offence, though. I'm sure it's a great place. It's just... my situation is complicated."

Logan looked thoughtful for a moment, before a strange look washed over his face, and enlightenment seemed to hit him. It was as though he had just realized something.

"Walker, you said?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Jayden nodded. "Natalie Turner's grandkid?"

Jayden felt a little weirded out by this, but he nodded slowly, confused.

"How did you know that?" he asked nervously, feeling as though his whole life was somehow exposed to this boy in front of him. Logan must have realized this, because he blushed, and shook his head.

"Don't get creeped out or nothin'." he requested, frowning. "It's just, my mother knew your mother."

Jayden's face brightened, and his heart leapt at the mention of his biological mother. He had spent his whole life in the dark about his mother. He had known nothing about her. He had been too young to ask his father much about her, and Derek, as much as he wanted to help, hadn't been able to help him, because he hadn't known her. And Jayden had never held that against him. But now, the possibility was right in front of him.

"Your Mom knew mine?" he asked brightly, excitement floating through him. "Well, what does she say about her? Did she tell you much? Did she-"

"Whoah, I don't know nothin', alright?" he said, holding up his hands in defense. Jayden's face fell, and he blushed, looking away. He shoved his hands in his pockets shamefully.

"Sorry..." he murmered, embarassed by his childish outbreak. "It's just, I never knew my mother, and when the chance comes along to learn anything about her..."

Logan's features instantly softened and turned to pity, and he offered him a sad smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it." he said, patting Jayden's back. "I wish I could help you, though." he said, before trailing off in thought. "But... you _are _staying with your mother's mother, aren't you? Shouldn't she know something about her?"

Jayden's eyes widened, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Finally, something good could come out of this. Finally, there was a good reason for this trip. How could he have been so blind as to not realize that his grandmother knew everything that Jayden wanted to know about Jenna Bailey. Who else would know her better than her own mother?

Not wanting to appear as though the thought had never occured to him, he swallowed hard, nodding, and began to follow along with Logan, who had been shooting him a weird look.

"Yeah, you're right." he said, fighting back a smile. "I'll probably talk to her later." he dismissed, wanting to change the topic. "So, do you live anywhere near my Grandmother's?"

Logan laughed, and shook his head.

"Nah, I live across town." he said, and Jayden knew instantly that his grandmother would not approve of Logan. But quite frankly, he didn't care. Logan may be a little quirky, but Jayden liked him. He made him feel comfortable, welcome, like he was actually liked by someone. His grandmother just made him feel used. For extra popularity points in the community.

"I ride my bike over here every single day of the summer." Logan went on, stuffing his hands into his pockets again. "It's good exercise, and most of my friends come over here, too. I'm actually meeting up with them in a few minutes."

Jayden's face fell, and he instantly felt his hopes at having a friend die away.

"Oh." he dismissed, giving Logan a sad smile. "I can let you go, then, if I'm holding you up here."

Logan's immediately shook his head, laughing.

"Nah. Don't be stupid, Jay." he said, instantly latching onto the nickname that everyone caught onto within the first hour of meeting Jayden. "You can come with me. My friends won't care. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Jayden hesitated, not wanting to impose upon Logan's circle of friends.

"Are you sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're positive they won't care?"

"Nah." he said, clapping a hand on Jayden's shoulder. "That's them over there. We'll just... oh."

Jayden's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"Oh, what?" he asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'." Logan dismissed, shaking his head in disgust. "You see that group of kids over there?"

"Where?" Jayden asked, peering off across the beach, squinting in the sunlight. "You're gonna have to be a little more specific here, Logan. This place is crawling with kids. In fact, I'm surprised I haven't stepped on someone yet."

Logan rolled his eyes at Jayden's attempt at humor, and pointed across the beach at a group of kids that were leaning up against a row of benches. Jayden could clearly distinct between two seperate groups of kids mingled within the pack. One group was dressed like him and Logan were, with plain old clothes fit for the beach. The other kids, however, had their hair slicked back in fancy styles, their clothes were white and clean, and too heavy for the hot sun that was pounding down on them. Most of them had sunglasses atop their heads, or covering their eyes, and it was quite clear that they had been raised more properly. Jayden's grandmother's meaning of 'two types of people' popped into his mind, and he knew that this had been what she meant.

"Yeah well, you can clearly see which ones are my friends." Logan said, a hint of anger in his voice. "The rest of them just... they get on my nerves. They're so snobby. They live in the suburbs... like your grandmother." he paused, studying Jayden carefully. "I sense you're not like them."

Jayden shook his head instantly, brushing his hair away from his eyes.

"I don't care about that stuff." he told Logan, who smiled.

"I thought so." he said, nodding. "If there was one thing my mother told me about your mother, it was that she was never one to judge people for their background, or their family. I can see you're following in her footsteps, there." he said, as they began to walk towards his friends. "Your grandmother didn't like my mother, either. Mainly because her family lived a different lifestyle than she did. My grandmother was a stay at home mom, and my grandfather ran a shop. I guess it wasn't up to her standards."

Jayden rolled his eyes at his grandmother's negativity. Had she been that way her whole life?

"Yeah, well, alot of things aren't up to her standards." he muttered angrily. "That's why I'm here, really. She wants custody of me."

"Well that's not so bad, is it?" Logan asked, shrugging. "I mean, sure, she's critical, but it's got to be better than where you are now. Are you in a group home or something?"

Jayden raised an eyebrow. For someone who had been so accurate on every other aspect of his life, he was way off on this one.

"Uh, no." he said, shaking his head. "I've got a family."

"Foster care?" he questioned casually.

"No; my father's best friend took me in when my Dad died." he explained, wondering how Logan would react to his unconventional family. He sensed that he was a pretty accepting guy, so he went on. "And then, a few years ago, he got married to his ex-fiancé, who's um... also his stepsister... and they had a kid."

"Stepsister?" Logan repeated, and Jayden froze, wondering if he should've just left things at ex-fiancé. He was not ashamed of his parents relationship, and he never would be, but he knew that some people could be critical of the circumstances.

Much to Jayden's relief, Logan shrugged, unmoved.

"Hey, that's okay." he said, sounding genuine. "I mean, it's a little odd, but who am I to judge, right?"

"R-Right." Jayden said, relieved at Logan's acceptance. "Anyway, they're my family, now. I mean, no one can ever erase my parents from my life. I'll always love them. But I consider Derek and Casey to be my parents, and Jeff my brother."

"Wasn't Jeff your father's name?" he asked, curiously.

Jayden nodded proudly.

"Yup." he confirmed. "So anyway, I'm here on a two week trial period. After that, it's up to the courts, I guess."

"You nervous?" Logan asked, as they neared his friends.

"A little." he admitted, as much to himself as to Logan. "There's nothing I can do about it, though. It's got to play itself out."

Logan nodded in agreement, and they approached the group of kids. There appeared to be about eight of them, three with Logan, and the other five from the other group.

"Hey, loser." one of the other boys said, smirking. "I see you've found a new recruitment, huh?" he turned to Jayden, who remained completely still, immune to bullying by now. "Sorry, kid. Once you start hanging around with people like _them_, your fate is sealed."

Jayden raised an eyebrow, unmoved, and the boy studied him carefully.

"You look like you belong with them, anyway." he said disapprovingly. "No big loss."

Logan smirked, and placed a hand on Jayden's shoulder protectively. It was quite clear that every single one of these boys were older than Jayden was. They seemed to range from thirteen to fifteen, and Jayden, who was already small for his age, couldn't help but feel out of place.

"This, Hunter, is Natalie Turner's grandson, Jayden Walker." he said knowingly, watching as all five boy's snapped back to attention, clearly shocked. "So I suggest you not go judging him too harshly. Your parents wouldn't be too pleased to hear that you were picking on a Turner, would they?"

_'Venturi.'_ Jayden corrected in his mind, but remained silent. He would never, _ever_, be a Turner, and they'd all better get it straight. But he didn't blame Logan for not recognizing the difference, and he knew that he was only trying to help.

"_You're _Natalie Turner's grandson?" the oldest boy asked, his face paling. His demeanor instantly shifted, and he looked completely torn between continuing his bullying streak, and respecting someone that was, by logical means, just as high up as he was. Apparantly, however, something had occured to him, and he smirked dryly.

"So tell me, kid." he said, towering over Jayden, who found himself a little nervous despite himself. "What's it like being an orphan?"

Jayden felt his heart stop, and he instantly wanted to reach up, and punch the smug looking teenager, who had to be at least three years older than him, across the face. He couldn't believe the nerve of the guy- to ask him such a rude question. But it was quite clear that, despite his family tree, he was looked down upon for having no parents- at least, in this boy's eyes.

"Shut up, Hunter." another boy hissed at him in Jayden's defense. Jayden shot him a grateful look, but was completely prepared to fight his own battles. His mind instantly flashed back to his conversation with Derek at the McDonald-Venturi household four years before, on the day that he'd asked Derek if he was an orphan. He remembered Derek's response, and was suddenly filled with a new sense of confidence.

"I'm not an orphan." he said confidently, standing up straight. "Don't call me that ever again."

Hunter looked surprised by Jayden's defensive front, but he was clearly not intimidated by the eleven year old. He took a step towards him, his eyes narrowed threateningly.

"Oh yeah?" he asked coldly, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "And tell me, what exactly would happen if I did?"

Jayden thought hard about this. He'd promised Casey to be good. He'd told her he wouldn't cause too much trouble. But didn't sticking up for himself- and his family, count for something? He was a loyal Venturi, and he didn't like anyone challenging his place in the family.

He looked up, trying not to be intimidated by the extra foot that Hunter gained on him. Glaring, he spoke up.

"You'd find out just what happens when you get a Venturi mad." he said threateningly, curling his tiny hands into fists. He prepared himself for pain, because he was sure that Hunter or his friends were going to break off and hit him at any given second. But instead, Hunter just laughed.

"A Venturi, huh?" he asked, laughing. "Is that the family that took you in? I think my Dad told me about you guys. Aren't your new parents some sort of scandal?"

Jayden shoved Hunter as hard as he could, which, despite his best efforts, wasn't very hard.

"They are _not_ a scandal." he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "There's nothing wrong with them."

"You've got some family, Jayden." Hunter laughed, sarcasm clear in his every syllable. "You've got no real parents, your real mother loved hanging out with people _way_ below her class..." he said, shooting a glance at the group of boys surrounding Jayden. Locking his gaze with the youngest boy's again, he smirked; "-and now your new parents are adding to the dysfunction by throwing in some sort of incestous fling."

And that was all it took for Jayden to be on top of Hunter, who was instantly tackled to the ground, with Jayden's fists connecting with whatever bit of the boy he could reach.

* * *

**So I'm aware this chapter was composed solely of OC characters, but the next chapter will be revolved around the Venturis again, or maybe a mix of both. I'm not sure. And don't worry about the fight, I'm not gonna pull a stunt like I did in BCWYWF. This is a kid's fight, people :) Anyway, review, and more shall follow soon. **


	16. Happy Birthday to Me

**This chapter is a bit long, but read and review, please. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. **

**Chapter Sixteen: Happy Birthday to Me**

"He _what_?" Casey cried into the phone. "He said _what_? He... why would he even...?" he trailed off, pressing her hand against her temple in frustration. "Put Jayden on the phone, please." she paused, listening to Mr.Easton's response. "No, I don't care if he's being grounded by his grandmother, I'm his _mother_, and I want to speak with him. I have every right to question my own child about what just happened."

There was a pause as Mr.Easton replied, and then, she smiled, just as Derek walked into the room.

"Thank you." she said, as Mr.Easton went to retrieve Jayden.

Derek crossed the room, gripping her shoulders gently in a relaxing massage, one she desperately needed. He pressed a kiss to the base of her neck in an attempt to calm her, but it didn't really help. Sensing that she was completely stressed out, he rested his chin on her shoulder, pulling her a little closer.

"What's going on?" he asked, as she tilted her head back into his touch, the phone still resting against her ear. "I could hear you yelling from downstairs. Having a fight with Cole?"

"No," she said, frowning. "Jayden got into a fight at the beach yesterday."

"He _what_?" Derek asked, snatching the phone away from her ear just as Jayden answered. Her massage was obviously over, and she frowned as he yelled into the phone.

"Jayden Alexander Walker, what the_ hell_ were you thinking?"

Jayden laughed, clearly amused that Derek's power was quite limited due to the distance between them. Normally, he wouldn't even think of laughing while Derek was yelling at him.

"Nice to hear from you, too, Derek." he noted, but Derek was in no mood for humor.

"I'm not laughing, Jayden." he said sternly, pacing the room angrily. "Why did you get into a fight?"

Jayden's laughter instantly died away, and Derek could tell that he was refraining from telling him the complete truth.

"Jayden..." he said warningly, frowning. "Tell me why you got into a fight, or I swear to God, the second you get back to this house-"

"They made fun of me, okay?" Jayden mumbled, clearly embarassed. "Me... you... our family."

"Our... why would they make fun of... oh." he said, trailing off as he realized what Jayden meant. His anger instantly melted away, and he sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, flopping down onto his back with his free hand pressed up against his face. Casey came over to sit next to him, and she leaned onto her side, running her fingers through Derek's hair to calm him a bit.

"I'm sorry, Jay." he said, feeling partially responsible for Jayden's fight. "You shouldn't have to suffer for choices that me and Casey made."

Casey's eyes instantly filled with confusion, and she frowned, glancing down at Derek. He shook his head, signalling that he'd fill her in after, and he listened for Jayden's next words.

"It wasn't just that, okay?" he said, sounding completely honest. "He made fun of my real family too, and he made fun of me in general. Even if he hadn't of said that thing about you and Casey, I probably would've hit him, anyway. He was being a complete jerk. So don't feel bad about it, alright? It had nothing to do with you guys."

Derek felt a little less guilty, though by no means did he entirely let himself off the hook, and he sighed heavily.

"Jay, I'm not making fun of you here, I'm really not, but you're a lot smaller than this other guy, I'm willing to bet. I'm only saying this because I know that most guys your age-"

"He wasn't my age." Jayden interrupted, sounding quite proud of himself.

Derek, however, groaned, allowing a frown to grace his lips.

"Jayden, you can't beat up people younger than you." he said, embarassed at Jayden's actions. "Not only is it unfair fire, it's going to make you seem like a wimp."

Jayden laughed again, and Derek was instantly confused.

"He wasn't younger than me, Derek." he said, pride filling his voice. "He turns sixteen next month."

Derek sat up straight, nearly sending poor Casey to the floor. His eyes were wide, and he tried to speak, but he just ended up opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, completely wordless. He was shocked, and amazed, and strangely proud, all at once.

"S-Sixteen?" he sputtered, running a hand through his hair. "Jesus, Jayden. How'd you pull off that one?"

"I dunno." Jayden admitted, sounding indifferent. "I was just really mad, and when he went too far, my body sort of reacted on it's own accord. I wasn't even thinking when I did it. I just... I reacted. And by the end of it, he was running off, calling back and saying that he wasn't gonna say nothing to me anymore."

Derek blew out a slow and patient breath, unsure of which emotion he wanted to address first. His obvious anger at Jayden's method of problem solving, his guilt for causing some of Jayden's issues through his marriage.

"Jay, I'm not happy about this." he said calmly, trying to make that much clear. "I'm really not. Fighting isn't an answer to anything, okay?" he said, despite how many fights he had gotten in himself as a kid. Suddenly, a grin broke out onto his face, and he couldn't keep it in. "But... seriously, bud, he was _sixteen_? That's just... wow." he breathed out, amazed.

Casey scowled at Derek's praise, but she was more shocked about Jayden's victims age than anything else. She snatched the phone away from Derek, rolling her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"It doesn't matter how old he was; you shouldn't have been fighting in the first place." she said, glaring at Derek, who shrugged and looked away absent-mindedly. "Derek just doesn't know how to promote good problem solving methods, do you, Derek?"

He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"I know how to shut you up, when needed." he informed her, smiling contently. "That's really the only problem solving I need." he trailed off, thinking. "Maybe I could shut Natalie up... although I'd have to use a different method than I do with you." he added with a wink, and then a shudder. "Ew..."

"Be serious here." she hissed at him, watching as he attempted to wash his unwanted thoughts from his mind. She ignored her husband, and tried to focus on Jayden. Sighing, she continued.

"Jayden, are you hurt at all?" she asked, frowning.

"Er, a little." he admitted, sounding embarassed. "It's just a cut lip, and I've got a bit of a bruise under my right eye. It's nothing serious."

"Well, don't let it happen again, got it?"

"Got it." Jayden said. "Mr.Easton wants the phone again now, okay? But remember to call on my birthday."

Casey smiled, recognizing how excited Jayden sounded over his twelfth birthday.

"We will." she assured him. "Don't worry."

"You promise?" he asked nervously. "You won't forget, will you?"

Casey chuckled as Derek sat up straight, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face into her neck calmly. He pressed a kiss there, and she bit her lip for a moment, trying to stay focused.

"We won't forget, okay?" she said, reaching behind her to tangle her hand through Derek's hair. "I promise. I'll talk to you in a few days."

"Okay." he said reluctantly, sounding discouraged by the sudden cutoff of their phone call. "Bye, Casey. Tell Jeff I said hi, okay?"

"I will." she said, before Mr.Easton picked up the phone again, clearing his throat.

"What do you think about that?" he asked, not sounding too pleased about the situation. Casey couldn't say she was too happy about it either, for she sighed, pulling her hand away from Derek's hair and running it through her own.

"I can't say I blame him for getting angry at this other kid." she said, but rushed on before Mr.Easton could criticize her. "But I had really hoped that Jayden understood fighting isn't the answer. We've both talked to him about it... some more sternly than others..." she added, with a glare back at Derek, who frowned at her scorn. "... and we hope he realizes his mistake, now."

Mr.Easton sighed, not sounding totally convinced of their innocence in this.

"Yes, well, have you two ever promoted any ideas of violence?" he asked, sounding embarassed. "I mean, has he ever been exposed to any-"

"Don't even ask that." she hissed angrily. "That's a really unfair question. There's absolutely no violence in our home. I mean, sure, the boys wrestle around sometimes, but it's nothing like that. He's never gotten into a fight before in his life, until he went to California, if that tells you anything." she said pointedly, rolling her eyes. "We've never had a problem with him being violent."

"Has he ever-" Mr.Easton started, but Derek, who was close enough to the phone to hear what was being said, snatched it away from Casey, his patience running low.

"This was a god damn kid's fight!" he spat out impatiently. "Every kid gets into a fight at some point in their life. And besides, did Jayden even tell you what that kid said to him?"

There was a pause on the other end as Mr.Easton thought over Derek's words. Finally, there came a very quiet 'no' from the other line.

"Well then I suggest you go ask him, and then ask yourself what you would've done in that situation." Derek snapped, his hands shaking with anger. "Don't blame our kid for defending his own honour, and his own god damn family, both biological, and current."

"I'm-"

"Goodbye, Mr.Easton." Derek said coldly, before hanging up the phone, leaving a very silent and dumbstruck social worker on the other line.

- - - -

"Fudge."

"You're not getting another Fudgestick, Jeff." Derek said, shaking his head at his son sternly. "You had one at the pool. You've already got enough sugar in your system as it is."

"Orange?"

"You're not getting a popsicle either, bud." he chuckled, lifting the smaller boy up into a nearby baby swing, and securing the strap on it accordingly. "Your Mom will kill me if I give you anymore sugar, because then you won't sleep tonight. Besides, we've got to call your brother later. It's his birthday, today, and we promised we'd call. I want you to be able to speak... somewhat fluently. You can't do that with too much sugar in you."

Jeff pouted, clearly wanting his own way. But Derek, having been the master at the pout for many years himself, knew better than to fall for this trick.

"Nope." he said, shaking his head. "You got that pout from me, Jeffers. It won't work."

As he pushed Jeff gently on the swing, his cellphone rang, vibrating in his right jeans pocket. He shifted to push the swing with his other hand, and dug his cellphone from his pocket. Flipping it open, he saw Casey's name flashing across the screen. Flipping it open, he smirked.

"Miss me?" he asked smugly, pushing the swing forwards again.

Casey gave a disgusted sort of groan, and sighed.

"You, not so much. That cute little adorable boy who is _somehow_ related to you, very much so." she said, and Derek could tell she was smirking.

"That's cold, Casey." he said, frowning.

"I'm a girl, it's my job." she explained, unmoved. "So, approximately what time would that cute little boy be back?"

Derek rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"You mean the cute little boy and his very sexy father, right?"

"No, the sexy, not to mention arrogant father can just drop the cute little boy off to his amazing mother, and be gone." Casey said, before laughing. "I'm joking, Derek. I love you, you know that."

"Yeah well, you'd better love me." he muttered, rolling his eyes. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to know when you'll be home." she said calmly, sighing. "I'm allowed to miss my men, aren't I?"

Derek raised an eyebrow, smiling as Jeff laughed as the wind hit his face when he swung forwards.

"There had better only be three men in your life." he said warningly, knowing the difference. "Me, Jayden, and Jeff. Cole, too, I guess. But I automatically have the right to kick anyone else's ass if they come near you."

"Aren't you cute?" she cooed in an awed voice. He blushed, and she seemed to sense this. "You're adorable when you're defensive."

Derek pouted, not approving of being called adorable when he was trying to act tough. Casey, however, knew him all too well, and continued.

"Wipe that sexy little smirk off your face, Venturi." she warned, and he scowled, realizing she had him completely figured out. "Save it for later, and tell me when you're coming home."

Derek considered arguing with her, but he didn't think that talking to Casey about what could possibly happen later was the best idea in front of his son, not to mention the dozen other parents and children scattered around the playground. He sighed, balancing the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he caught sight of Jeff, who was lifting up his arms and calling out to be let out of the swing. He reached under Jeff's arms, removing him from the swing, and watching as the little boy ran off across the playground to join a couple of other kids in a nearby sandbox.

Derek leaned up against the pole of the swing, letting the wind ruffle his hair gently.

"We should be home really soon." he said, yawning. "Jeff's getting worn out now, I hope. Besides, he was asking for ice-cream a little while ago, so I think he's getting hungry. I don't think he'll last another twenty minutes."

"Alright." she replied. "I'll start some supper in fifteen minutes, and I'll see you guys soon. Did you put Jayden's birthday gift on layaway until next week?"

Derek grinned. Since Jayden was going to be trying out for the basketball team in the spring, Derek had went ahead and bought a basketball net, one that could easily be attached to the garage, or the side of the house. Casey had bought him an official NBA basketball, and they had both chipped in to buy him some good basketball sneakers, which they would claim were from Jeff, even if Jayden knew the difference. Jeff loved being able to present his brother with his own gift.

"I forgot, but I'll stop in on the way home. I'll just leave here now, then." he said, before spotting Jeff getting up and running off towards the monkey bars. He sighed, knowing a two year old couldn't possibly get up that high, but he could sure as hell try.

"Alright, baby, I've got to go." he said, starting off towards his son. "Jeff's being himself again."

Casey laughed, but did not argue with him.

"Alright." she said. "I'll see you when you get home. Love you."

"Love you." he said as he approached his son from behind, so he couldn't run away. "See you soon."

With that, he hung up, and grabbed Jeff, swinging him up into his arms, and chuckling as the younger boy gave a delighted laugh.

"Come on, bud." he said, as Jeff squirmed, trying to get away and go back to his climbing. He tightened his grip on him, securing him in both arms. "Nope, you're not getting away, now. Save that energy for your Mom. I'm sure she'll love to deal with it."

With that, Jeff gave up, defeated, and allowed his father to place him back on the ground, and lead him towards the car.

- - - -

"Slow down, bud." Derek laughed, as Jeff struggled to free himself from his carseat. Derek was leaned across the backseat, trying to unbuckle the belt, which wasn't easy when the two year old wouldn't sit still.

"Why are you in such a rush?" he grumbled, frustrated.

"Jayden!" the little boy explained hurriedly, and Derek understood then. Jeff wanted to talk to his brother. He had a feeling that there would be no dinner until that phone call was made. Derek sighed, releasing the strap from Jeff's carseat, and lifting him out of it, up into his arms. He grabbed his wallet from the backseat, where he had just placed it, and made his way towards the door.

He went to open up the door, but the second he touched the handle, the door opened up on it's own, stopping halfway. He raised an eyebrow, shaking off the weird feeling that came over him at that moment, and pushed it open the rest of the way, trying to push away his mistrusting instincts.

The second he stepped in the door, Jeff slid out of his father's arms, and scrambled clumsily up the stairs towards his bedroom. Derek closed the door behind him, before tossing his wallet onto the nearby endtable, and frowning at the silence.

"Casey?" he called out, wondering where she had gone. "Case, you here?"

There was no answer, and Derek frowned even further as he saw that the pillows were torn off the couch. He felt his stomach drop, and he darted into the kitchen, gripping the doorframe as he swung himself halfway into the room, glancing around carefully. It was quite clear that she wasn't there, and he decided to check upstairs, seeing as she would've responded to him had she been downstairs.

He made his way up the stairs, and instantly turned towards their bedroom, pushing their door open.

The second the room came into view, he felt his heart clench, and he fell onto his knees next to Casey, who was leaning up against the foot of their bed, crying. She had blood on the side of her head, but he couldn't tell where, or how deep, the cut was. Her eyes were half closed, and her head was tilted away from him, so he couldn't see the expression on her face.

He gripped her chin urgently, tilting it towards him, and her eyes widened as far as they could in her trance when she saw him. He felt her body relax a little bit as she realized he was there with her.

"Derek..." she murmered, and he was alarmed to hear how weak her voice sounded. "Hey..."

He clutched her face desperately in his hands, confused, terrified.

"Casey, what happened?" he asked, his voice shaky and concerned. "Wh- I don't... how?"

"S-Someone broke in." she managed to get out, her lips barely moving to form the words. "I ran upstairs. He was... looking for something."

"What was he looking for, baby?" he asked, shifting so that he could hold her body up, so that she wasn't exerting her little energy. "What did they want?"

She shook her head, indicating that she didn't know.

"Dunno..." she murmered, shrugging. "Didn't say. Never left with nothin', though."

Derek didn't much care about whether or not his posessions had been taken or not. He was more worried about Casey, and the blood that had spilled from her cut. He could tell it was on the carpet, and on her clothes and hair, and even on his own two hands, by now. But he didn't care about the mess.

He picked up the phone off of the dresser, trying not to let go of Casey's body with his other arm. With trembling fingers, he dialed Cole and Kallie's number, and waited impatiently for someone to answer. When someone did, he cut them off before they could even finish saying 'hello'.

"Cole?" he asked, and he heard Cole give some sort of an answer. "Great. Are you busy?"

"Well, I'm, uh-" he started, but Derek wasn't even listening to him.

"Great." he said, not bothering to let him finish. "I need you to get over here as fast as you can, and take Jeff for us."

"Take... Derek what's going on?" Cole asked, sensing Derek's urgency. "Is everything okay?"

Derek saw Casey wince painfully at her wound, and he cringed, looking away again.

"Just get here as soon as you can." he rushed, worried. "Come on upstairs. And hurry."

"But-"

"Go, man, or I swear to God, I'll-"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Cole said, before hanging up.

Derek clicked the off button on the phone, and tossed it onto the bed behind Casey. He turned his attention back to his wife, frowning.

"What did he do to you, Case?" he asked, not really wanting to know, but knowing he had to. "Did he hit you or something?"

Casey shook her head as best as she could, her eyes fluttering shut for another brief moment, until Derek tightened his grip on her, snapping her back to focus.

"No one hit me." she murmered, frowning. "I was running away so they wouldn't see me, and I...I slipped and hit my head off of the corner of the dresser." she explained, wincing.

Derek glanced over his shoulder to see that the corner of the dresser was, indeed, brushed with traces of blood. He frowned, before kissing her forehead gently.

"I'm gonna take you to the hospital once Cole gets here, okay?" he assured her, pulling her up into her arms. "I don't want Jeff seeing you like this, he'll-"

"Mommy?"

Derek groaned. His son had to have the absolute worst timing in the world. He didn't understand how Jeff could sit in his room for hours on end any other day, but he chose today to walk into his parents room.

"Wha' happen?" Jeff managed to string together, frowning at his mother. Derek could see tears in his son's eyes, and he felt his heart clench. He couldn't deal with his son crying, and his wife in pain, at the same time. He gently placed Casey back down against the bed, and straightened up, wiping his hands as best as possible onto his jeans so that he could lift Jeff into his arms. Jeff's eyes were glued to his mother, and he turned to his father to see the traces of blood on his father's own hands. He looked at him with confusion and mistrust in his eyes.

Derek instantly panicked, and shook his head, while tears began to fall from his son's eyes.

"Daddy?" he questioned, perhaps wondering why his father had just been kneeling over his mother, and now had blood on his hands. He was two; he couldn't piece together what had really happened.

"Mommy just fell and hit her head, Jeff." he explained, turning away from Casey, and leaving the room so that Jeff wouldn't be exposed to the scene anymore. He carried him into his own bedroom, placing him gently in his own bed and clicking the gaurdrails into place. Jeff protested, shaking his head and clutching onto his father's hand, but Derek shook him off, needing to get back to Casey.

"I've gotta go help your Mom, buddy." he said gently, backing towards the door. "I need you to stay in here, okay?" he asked, feeling bad about having to lock him in his bed, but knowing that Jeff would run straight back into his parent's room if Derek let him go. He bent down, picking up a few of Jeff's dinkies, and placed them in the bed for Jeff to play with while they were waiting for Cole to arrive.

"Be good." he called over his shoulder as he left the room. "You won't be in there too long."

When he got back into the bedroom, again, he saw that Cole was already there, and was kneeling by Casey's side, trying to keep her propped up. He glanced up at Derek, his eyes wide with shock.

"Derek, man, what the hell happened?" he asked, as Derek kneeled down, placing an arm around Casey's shoulders.

Derek winced, before grabbing a cold cloth that he'd gotten on the way back to the room, and placing it against where he could only assume Casey's wound was.

"Someone broke in. They looked like they were looking for something, she said, but they never left with anything. She tried to run, but she fell and hit her head on the dresser." he explained in a hurry, lifting Casey up into his arms bridal style. Her arms wrapped lazily around his neck as her eyes fluttered shut again. "I got home, and I found her like this. I'm going to take her to then hospital, and I need you to take Jeff for a couple of hours. I'll drop over to your place and pick him up on my way home, tonight. Is that okay?"

Cole nodded hurriedly, his face pale.

"Alright," Derek said, adjusting Casey in his arms. "He's in his room. I'll leave the carseat in your backseat."

With that said, he was gone, and Cole darted off, retrieving Casey and Derek's son from his bed.

By the time he got down to the driveway, Derek had already left for the hospital.

During the whole drive home, Cole couldn't shake Derek's words.

_'Someone broke in. They looked like they were looking for something, she said, but they never left with anything.' _

Cole had been a lawyer long enough to know that people didn't generally break into a home and leave with nothing, unless they were looking for one specific thing. And with everything that was going on lately, he had to wonder if this random break-in was not so random after all.

He had to wonder if someone was trying to help Natalie Turner's case along by attempting to find some dirt on Casey and Derek. Something that would make them look bad in court. Something that would make sure Natalie won the case.

But Cole wasn't worried.

Casey and Derek had nothing to hide. He just hoped it wouldn't happen again.

_- - - - _

Thousands of miles away, a freshly twelve year old boy lay flat on his back, on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, no emotion on his face. It wasn't like he'd expected much for his birthday. His grandmother had taken him out to lunch at some nearby place, one of her favourites. It had been fancy, of course, with different courses and appetizers. Afterwards, she had simply taken him home, and wished him a Happy Birthday. To be honest, he had been quite surprised that she'd remembered his birthday. It wasn't like she'd been around for any of them. But he could only suppose that having your daughter die on that same day would make the date memorable.

He would've been quite content with going out for a simple dinner at some local diner, and then going to a movie, like he did every year with Casey and Derek. They'd always celebrate together on his actual birthday, and have his party for his friends on the closest Saturday. He was comfortable with that, and always enjoyed the simplicity of it.

Logan and the rest of the gang had dropped over earlier that day, before he went out to dinner, with an assortment of gifts, most of them just simple things. Logan had given him one of his older surfboards, which Jayden didn't understand, seeing as he had no use for it back in Canada. He did, however, think that it looked pretty cool, and wondered if he could get Derek to tack it up to his wall back at home. They'd wanted him to come down to the beach so that they could teach him how to use it, but he was still grounded for another two days. He found it pretty harsh that he was grounded on his birthday, but he reminded himself that he probably wouldn't have gone anyway.

He had been waiting for his family to call.

But they hadn't.

He rolled over onto his side, scowling at the stupid Mozart poster on his wall. He wanted to tear it down, and flick it out his window. Stupid classical music. He'd heard enough of it floating from the living room all week, and he was getting sick of it. Whatever tolerance he had previously held for the genre was now completely gone.

He glanced over at the clock on his bedside table, noting that it was nine thirty at night, meaning it was past midnight back in Ontario. He sighed sadly as his eyes travelled to the picture of the four of them, taken about six months before, at Jayden's school picnic. He glared at it, before hitting it so that it fell face down against the surface. They weren't going to call, that much was clear.

He sighed, staring back up at his ceiling again with the same emotionless look he had held before.

He should be used to disappointment by now.

"Happy Birthday to me." he whispered bitterly, before rolling over onto his side, and attempting to get some sleep, still fully clothed, and on top of the blankets.

* * *

**So there's the chapter. This story has still got a while to go, lol but it is more than halfway done. Just not close to finished yet, haha. The more reviews, the sooner I update, lol :) **


	17. A Day Can Mean The World

**Here's chapter seventeen . Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming, please. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Chapter Seventeen: A Day Can Mean The World**

At three o'clock in the morning, Cole's cellphone rang. He had been sitting up on the couch with Kallie's head in his lap as she slept, and they had a blanket draped over them to keep them warm. The only light in the entire home was the steady blue flicker of the television, flashing against the walls. He had been flicking through the channels absent-mindedly, his mind focused only on his best friend. He had hated leaving her like that. He knew that Derek would get her the help she needed, though.

Jeff had gone to sleep in Cole and Kallie's bed about three hours before. Since Cole didn't have a bed with gaurdrails, he'd wanted to ensure that the bed the two year old slept in wasn't going to be so narrow that he'd fall out of it.

As he picked up the phone, he stifled a yawn, but stammered out a;

"Hello?"

"Cole, it's me." Derek said, sounding completely exhausted, yet relieved. "How's Jeff?"

"He went to sleep at about nine." Cole explained, trying to keep his voice low enough as not to wake Kallie or Jeff. "How's Casey? Is she okay?"

Derek drew in a deep breath, and Cole tensed with worry. But a moment later, Derek answered him.

"Casey's going to be just fine." he assured Cole, who let out a breath of relief. "The cut was deep, but not deep enough for stitches. They had to replace some of her blood, but they said that the blood loss wasn't the reason for how weak she was earlier."

Cole remained uncertain, and Derek sighed.

"Okay, it was part of the reason, but they said she was in shock, and she also may have sustained a brief concussion." he explained, sounding concerned. "She's fine now, though. Once they replaced the blood, her skin got most of it's color back, and the shaking stopped, and she sort of came around. She's still in a bit of shock, and she's not saying much, but they told me she's going to be perfectly fine."

Cole sighed with relief, closing his eyes briefly and pressing a hand against his forehead.

"Thank God." he murmered, feeling as though the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders. "When can she leave?"

"Tomorrow morning." Derek sighed, sounding completely stressed. "That's why I'm calling." he said, before pausing. "Would it be at all possible for you to... um..."

Cole instantly knew what Derek was trying to ask, and he sighed, not having any problems whatsoever with this.

"Pick him up in the morning, Derek." he suggested, knowing that his guess was accurate. "Don't worry about it. It'd be a shame to move him now, anyway. He's fast asleep. But I wanted to talk to you about something."

Derek didn't respond, merely waited for Cole to continue with his discussion. Taking a deep breath, the other man continued.

"Okay, so Casey claims that someone was looking for something, right?"

Derek sighed, clearly not understanding where this was going.

"What's your point?" he asked, shrugging. "She said they came in and started tearing everything apart, like they were trying to find something. That was all she really said before she got too tired, and then the doctors told her to go back to sleep. Why do you ask?"

"I think it was Natalie." Cole said instantly, deciding it was best to get everything out in the open as soon as possible.

Derek was silent on the other line for a moment, apparantly letting Cole's words sink in, before he spoke up again.

"Natalie?" he repeated, sounding doubtful. "But... Natalie's in-"

"California, I know." Cole interrupted carelessly. "I don't mean Natalie, specifically. I mean, I think she was behind this. I think she may have gotten someone to do this for her."

Derek contemplated this for a moment as he stared down the long, white, hospital hallway, before blowing out a slow and patient breath.

"I dunno, Cole." he said slowly, unsure. "I mean, what could we possibly have that she'd want?"

"I dunno." Cole admitted, sounding disappointed for a moment in his otherwise brilliant theory. "Do you have anything belonging to Jeff or Jenna? Did Jeff ever give you anything valuable?"

"Other than his son?" Derek said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Not really. I mean, a few belongings, but nothing seriously valuable. Nothing that Natalie could use to win the custody trial. And she wouldn't need anything else, the woman's filthy rich, so if she was breaking in, it would be for something to help her in the case." he said slowly, racking his brain for something, anything. But he could think of nothing.

"Alright, well if you think of anything, or if you find that something really _has_ gone missing, I need you to tell me right away." Cole said sternly, turning on his professional side immediately. "By the way, I reported this to the police. There are a few officers gone over to your house right now to inspect. Try to find some DNA samples, anything that'll help."

"Great." Derek murmered, rolling his eyes. "More people poking around in my life."

"Derek, they're trying to help..." Cole reminded him slowly, wincing at his friend's negative demeanor.

Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair carefully, and leaning back against the wall.

"I know, trust me, I know." he admitted, feeling terrible about how childish he was acting. "It's just, this is so hard, Cole. You don't understand. First, Jayden gets taken, and now Casey gets hurt. I mean, it's one thing for someone to personally attack me, which has only happened verbally, and what Natalie says means nothing to me. But I don't want my kids or wife getting hurt in this. It's not fair. Jayden should never have been forced to go to California, and Casey shouldn't be in this god damn hospital tonight." he said, letting out the breath he'd been holding in during his little speech. Catching his breath, he tried to relax himself. "Speaking of which, I've got to go. I want to go check on Casey."

"Alright." Cole said, completely understanding why Derek had to go. "I'll see you tomorrow. Take your time. If you want to go home and get Casey settled away first, that's fine by me. Me and Kallie don't have any big plans for tomorrow, anyway. And we could use some more practice with kids, now that we're going to be having our own."

Derek chuckled, before thanking Cole, and hanging up the phone. He sighed, and made his way into Casey's room, opening the door gently so that he wouldn't wake her, should she still be sleeping. Much to his happiness, she was wide awake, and looked much more alert than she had earlier that evening.

"Hey, baby." he said softly, closing the door behind him. He walked towards her bed, taking a seat on the edge of it. He took her hand gently in his and kissed it, smiling at her.

"Hey." she repeated back to him, blushing. "Where'd you go?"

He laid their entwined hands down against his knee gently, and offered her a casual shrug.

"I had to phone Cole." he informed her, yawning. "No big deal, I just needed to ask him to keep Jeff for the rest of the night."

Casey blushed, ashamed for some reason. Derek noticed, and tilted her chin up towards him.

"Why are you blushing, baby?" he asked gently, confused. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." she dismissed, shrugging as a sad smile graced her lips. "I just, I feel so stupid, you know. I could've tried harder to figure out who that person was. Instead, I ran. Like a coward, I just left. And I ended up causing myself, and everyone else more pain than I meant to. I _ran_, Derek."

"And I'm so damn glad you did." he murmered, kissing her lips gently, and pulling back to look into her eyes, which were swimming with confusion. Deciding to explain, he went on. "What if this guy had been carrying a gun or something, Casey? What if he was violent? You never know what could've happened to you. I'm just glad that you only ended up with minimum damage." he rushed, pressing his forehead to hers. "If it had been anything more than this... I don't even want to think about it."

He trailed off, and Casey kissed his forehead, her eyes only half open.

"You alright?" he asked, sensing her fatigue.

She nodded, but yawned as she did so.

"I'm fine; don't worry about me." she assured him, forcing a smile. "So Jeff is staying with Cole and Kallie for the night?" she asked, and Derek nodded. "That's good then. The poor kid must've been so confused when he walked in... I can't even imagine. Did someone call Jayden yet? And let him know everything's okay? Just in case he hears otherwise?"

"Jayden!" Derek cried suddenly, jumping up from Casey's bed. He ran a frantic hand through his hair, pacing the tiny hospital room. "It's his... oh my God... his birthday. We promised, and we, oh God..."

"Go call him, right now." Casey said, the same guilty look creeping onto her features that was already on Derek's. "Tell him what happened. Tell him how sorry we both are, and tell him I said Happy Birthday as well."

"Okay, I'll be back soon." he said, before turning and darting out into the hallway again, diving desperately for the phone. It was three fifteen in the morning. Twelve fifteen in California, but he didn't care. This was an emergency, sort of. Someone had to tell him what had happened to Casey, didn't they? As the phone rang, Derek prayed that Jayden himself would pick up the phone, so that he wouldn't have to deal with Natalie.

Unfortunately, he had no such luck.

"Hello?" came Natalie's shrill, and very awake voice.

"It's Derek." he said casually, trying to hurry. "I need to speak to Jay."

Natalie gave a disapproving sort of 'tsk', and gave a sweet little laugh that made Derek's blood boil with anger and disgust.

"Jayden is asleep." she explained, sounding indifferent. "Some gaurdians promote a good night's sleep, and good health. Besides, it's the middle of the night there, too. You should have picked a better time to call."

"This is a family emergency!" Derek spat out angrily. "Mr.Easton said to me before that I can contact Jayden or yourself at anytime if there is a family emergency; and there is one!"

Natalie sighed impatiently, sounding as though she did not want to accept defeat, but understood that she'd have to. She took a moment to think out her next response.

"What is it?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious, and... he hated to think hopeful. "What happened?"

"Just put Jayden on the phone." Derek said, not willing to spill his own personal matters to Natalie Turner, especially if she really had been involved. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she'd caused this sort of destruction. He heard her sigh, and then the phone was covered. He could hear muffled conversation in the background and a few moments later, Jayden answered, sounding hopeful, yet upset.

"Hello?" he said, and Derek instantly knew that Jayden hadn't been asleep, depsite his grandmother's excuses.

"Jayden, hey." he said, praying that the kid would give him a chance to explain what had happened, before-

"You liar." Jayden hissed, and Derek pressed his forehead against the wall, his eyes shut tightly. "You're both liars. You lied to me about my grandmother wanting me, and now you're lying to me about phone calls. If you didn't want to call me, that's cool, but you didn't have to promise you would!"

"Jay-"

"I mean, it would've meant alot, you know, considering it was my _birthday _and all." he yelled, his anger coming through painfully clear. "Or did you forget? Was that it? Were you three too busy being a big, happy family to pick up the phone and just call me to wish me a Happy Birthday? Was it too much to ask?"

"Jayden, we had to-"

"I was by myself, Derek!" he said, hurt lingering in his voice. "I spent my birthday alone, okay? My grandmother took me out, but I stayed home the rest of the day waiting for a call I never got. Do you have any idea how that made me-"

"Casey's in the hospital, Jay!" Derek cried, pressing the palm of his free hand against his face as he straightened up.

There was silence on the other line, and he could practically sense Jayden's shock. He waited, praying that Jayden's concern and curiousity for his mother's situation would outweigh his anger. And, after a moment, he realized that it had.

"Casey's... she's... what?" he stammered out, shocked. "What happened to her? Is she okay? Is she..."

"She's fine, Jayden." he assured the boy, sighing. "Someone broke into the house this afternoon, and Casey tried to lock herself in the bedroom to stay away from them. She fell and hit her head off the dresser. When I came home she was sort of just sitting on the bedroom floor, and her head was bleeding, and... well... trust me, phone calls were the last thing on my mind, aside from a babysitter for Jeff."

"Don't worry about the phone call." Jayden dismissed, sounding totally unconcerned about the matter. "I don't care about that. I just want to make sure my Mom's going to be okay."

"She's perfectly fine, Jay." he said, feeling slightly better under the knowledge that Jayden had forgiven them for forgetting to call. "She said to say Happy Birthday to you, actually. And Jeff was bugging me all day yesterday to go home so we could call you, so I guess that extends to him as well."

Derek could have sworn that he heard Jayden give a sigh of relief at this, with the knowledge that his family hadn't really forgotten about him.

"Thanks." he said, sounding embarassed. "I'm sorry for freaking on you. I just got a bit overdefensive. I guess I have a tendency of doing that, huh?"

Derek chuckled, nodding to himself.

"Yeah, you do, but I do too, so it's okay." he informed him, smiling.

"So tell me." Jayden started, sounding genuinely curious. "Do you know who broke into the house? Did they take anything?"

"No, bud." he said, shaking his head, more to himself than anything. "They didn't take anything that we know of. And we don't know who it was."

He decided against mentioning Cole's suspicions of his grandmother's involvement to Jayden. The last thing he wanted Jayden to think was that he was living with someone who had plotted a crime. He sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"On a brighter topic, we've got your birthday gift put on layaway." he informed the kid, who laughed.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding excited. "I mean, technically, my birthday is over, so you can tell me."

"Technically, we're going to wait until you're home." Derek argued, smirking. "Anyway, bud, I hate to cut this short, but I've got to go. I'm going to go make sure Casey got back to sleep alright, and then I'm going to try and catch some sleep myself. It's been a really long day."

"I understand." Jayden said honestly, sounding more happy than he had the whole day. "Tell Casey I hope she feels better, and tell them both thanks for the birthday greeting. Thanks to you, too. I'll see you guys in five days."

Derek grinned the realization that Jayden would be home so soon.

"Can't wait." he said, straightening up. "See you, bud."

With that, he hung up the phone and headed back to Casey's room to ensure that she'd gotten to sleep, before dropping off to sleep himself, his head resting lazily on her bed.

- - - -

By the time the Venturis got home and settled away, it was nearly dinnertime. Casey hadn't been released from the hospital until nearly one thirty, and since Derek didn;t exactly feel comfortable with leaving Casey home by herself, he had taken her along to Cole's to pick up Jeff. Cole and Kallie had understandably wanted to see Casey for themselves, to ensure that she was really okay, so they had wound up staying there for about an hour and a half, just chatting and relaxing with their friends. Derek had found that he was almost frightened to let Casey stray too far from his sight. In fact, his arm was wrapped protecively around her waist the entire afternoon. He was even wary of Jeff's actions. If there was anything that the events of the past two weeks had taught him, it was that anything could happen in a split second, and you had to protect the ones you cared about as much as you could. He didn't know why, and he knew that it was stupid to think it, but he almost felt like he alone was responsible for protecting his family. With Casey and Jayden having already been somehow affected by this whole mess, he almost felt like it was his duty to ensure nothing happened again.

And the stress of being solely responsible for something as big as your family's happiness and well-being, it was terrifying to Derek.

Once they had gotten home, Casey had been absolutely exhausted from the day's events. Jeff, having missed his afternoon nap during all the excitement, wasn't doing much better, so Derek had put him down for his nap, and had then settled Casey down on the couch so that he could cook supper, and keep an eye on her. The doctor had told him to watch her wound over the next few days, to ensure that the bleeding didn't start again. They hadn't stitched it, so it was quite possible.

He found it weird being in the house with nobody else awake. Usually, he'd at least have Jayden. Four more days, and he'd have him back, maybe for good, and maybe not. He was completely stressed out about the trial. He had never had to go through anything like a custody trial, and he had no clue what his chances were. He was almost afraid to know.

Sighing, he tangled his hands through his hair, and leaned his elbows against the kitchen counter, waiting for supper to finish cooking. Cooking was so time consuming, which was why he usually left it to Casey, and was the reason that he was keeping it simple, and making a store-bought lasagna for him and Casey, and some Kraft Dinner for Jeff. If he tried anything more complex than that, he'd burn it.

Finally, he turned the stove off, and made his way out into the living room, perching himself on the edge of the couch. The blanket had slipped off of Casey, and he pulled it back up over her shoulders, before shaking her shoulder slightly to wake her.

"Case." he said softly, grinning. "C'mon, anymore beauty sleep and I'll be fighting off every guy in the neighbourhood that tries to get to you. You're sexy enough. Now up."

Casey grinned, her eyes still closed. She stretched a little, extending her hands over her head, and allowed her eyes to flutter open. When she saw him, she smirked.

"What makes you think I want you to fight them off?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You think I can't defend myself properly, or something?"

Derek's eyes widened, and he shook his head.

"Never, Case; I wouldn't dream of it." he lied, brushing a hand down through her hair. "Now c'mon, you kung fu chicks need your food."

"Mmm, food." she said, sitting up straight.

A strange look washed over Derek's face, and he frowned.

"Wow." he observed, shaking his head in awe. "It's like we've switched roles, huh? You get to be lazy for a change, and I'm cooking you food. I'm used to the one being tended to."

"Yeah, I know." she laughed, before kissing his forehead, and taking his hand. He pulled her up, and wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug, pulling her tight against his chest. She spoke up, the vibrations of her voice tickling his neck.

"Four days till Jay gets home." she said, excitement in her voice. She pulled back a little, her arms encircling his neck, as his were with her waist. "You know what I was thinking? We should take him out for dinner and a movie, like we always do. I doubt he had much of a birthday."

"He never." Derek admitted, shaking his head sadly. "He went out to dinner with his grandmother, and then spent the rest of the day at home, waiting for us to call."

"Poor kid." Casey said, her face falling, and a guilty look sweeping over her. "I feel terrible. I mean, if I hadn't of fallen and made everything-"

Derek gripped her chin in his hand, shaking his head at her with determination.

"It wasn't your fault." he said, his voice confident. "Not at all, Casey. I don't want you blaming yourself for this in the slightest. Jay doesn't blame you, either. I think he'd rather celebrate at home with us, anyway. He just wanted to make sure you were fine. It wasn't your fault, okay?"

Casey smiled slightly, nodding her head to signal that she understood.

"Alright, if you say so." she said, sighing, and trailing her hands down to link with his, at the same time as her lips met his. She smirked against his lips, backing him up against the wall. Just as he moved to place hi hands on her hips, she tightened her grip on his hands, and pulled back, grinning.

"Food, now." she said, before allowing herself to drop his hands. As she headed towards the kitchen, she called over her shoulder at him; "Go and bring Jeff downstairs."

- - - -

When the family was halfway through dinner, the phone rang. Jeff laughed, and outstretched his hand towards the source of noise, recognizing that someone was calling.

"Me!" he said, smiling hopefully at his mother, who shook her head at him, wiping some of the Kraft Dinner off of his chin.

"No, baby." she said, shaking her head as Derek pushed back his chair and laid his fork down. "Let your Daddy answer the phone. Last time, you nearly gave your poor grandmother a heart attack by screaming into the receiver."

Jeff frowned, and returned to his supper, looking quite discouraged. Derek chuckled, before picking up the phone.

"It's Mr.Easton." the voice on the other line said. "Just calling to ask you a question about Jayden's stay in California." he said, his voice unreadable.

Derek's heart clenched, and he swallowed nervously, casting Casey a warning look. He wasn't too confident about this.

"I was wondering if it was possible for Jayden to stay-"

"He's not staying any longer than originally planned, if that's what you're asking." Derek said, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

Casey's focus instantly snapped over to where Derek stood, an angry look on his face as he clutched the phone in his hand, his knuckles white from pressure.

Much to Derek's surprise, Mr.Easton chuckled in response.

"No worries, Derek." he said, and he felt himself relax a little. "I was wondering if it was possible for Jayden to come home a day early, actually." he explained, and Derek's face lifted with hope. "Natalie's got to fly out of state to visit her son, and she needs to be there by Wednesday night, so we're just going to go ahead and send him home then, if that's alright with you."

Derek's heart leapt, and he felt himself overflowing with happiness.

"That'd be great." he said, trying not to sound to eager. "When can we pick him up?"

"Early Thursday morning." he said, sounding pleased with Derek's response. "Three am. Is that okay?"

"That's... that's perfect." Derek stammered, overwhelmed. "Thanks, Mr.Easton. See you Thursday."

With that, he hung up the phone, and returned to his seat. Casey was giving him a curious and skeptical look, which he returned with a grin. She rolled her eyes, annoyed with his silence.

"What'd he want, Derek?" she asked, sounding impatient. "Was it anything important?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he turned to Jeff, who was poking around at his Kraft Dinner absent-mindedly.

"Hey, bud?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at his son. Jeff looked up with interest. "How would you feel about a sleepover at Uncle Edwin's on Wednesday night?"

"Why?" Jeff asked, pouting at the thought of not being included in something, even if he loved having a sleepover at his uncle's.

"Because your Mom and I have got to pick up Jayden at the airport." he said, shrugging like it was no big deal. "He's coming home a day early."

Jeff's face broke out into a grin, and Casey stared at him in awe.

A day. It wasn't much, but when you could have a limited amount of time left with someone, a day meant everything.

* * *

**Reviews are love :) **


	18. Reunions

**Nothing much to say except here's chapter eighteen. Enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I continue to own nothing. This is getting quite discouraging. **

**Chapter Eighteen: Reunions**

"Airport!" Jeff cried, as his father struggled to do up his windbreaker. "Please?"

Derek sighed as he attempted to get the zipper unstuck. He shook his head, signalling that Jeff couldn't go.

"Sorry, kiddo." he said, chuckling lightly. "You'll be way too tired by then. I already told Uncle Edwin to drop you off first thing in the morning so you can see your brother."

"Promise?" he asked, his lower lip stuck out in a pout that matched Derek's own pout.

Derek smiled, and nodded.

"Promise." he assured him, nodding as he got the zipper done up. Jeff grinned, and Derek slipped his sneakers onto his small feet, before lifting the small boy up into his arms. "You tired yet?"

"Nuh-uh." Jeff said, shaking his head. Derek rolled his eyes, knowing his son was lying. He had gone down for a second nap after supper, because Casey and Derek had both known he'd never make it to ten o'clock, when they would be leaving. They hadn't wanted to bring Jeff to Edwin's too late, so they were going to catch a midnight movie at the downtown theatre, before heading out to pick up Jayden at the airport.

"Come on, buddy." he said, ruffling the hair on the top of his son's head and grabbing his car keys in his spare hand. He pulled the front door open, and turned around halfway to call out to his wife.

"Casey, come on." he called, rolling his eyes. "You look absolutely fine."

"I'm just looking for..." she started, but trailed off, stuck.

"An excuse to pretty yourself up some more." he smirked, rolling his eyes. He glanced down at his son, who's curious brown eyes were staring up at his father beneath his brown tufts of hair. "I'm telling you, kid. Women are extremely difficult creatures to get along with. Especially ones like your mother."

"Derek, what are you telling our son?" Casey asked as she came down over the stairs. Her son grinned as she came down over the stairs, dressed up nicely in a black and white striped shirt, and darker jeans. Her hair was curly, and her makeup was done just right. Derek smiled at the sight of her, and she rolled her eyes as Jeff continued to laugh playfully at his father's words.

"I swear to God, Derek." she said, taking her son from his arms, and scowling at him. "You've got to be the most annoying, difficult-"

"See my point yet, Jeff?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. His son grinned, and Casey sighed, deciding to give up on the situation.

"Come on, then." she said, grabbing her black jacket from the coat rack. "Derek, grab his bag, please."

Derek picked up the kid-sized backpack, swung it over his shoulder, and made his way towards the door, following his wife and son out to the car.

- - - -

"Jayden's flight gets in at around three, so we'll need to be there for two thirty, just so Casey doesn't freak." Derek said, rolling his eyes towards his brother. "She's worried that the flight will get in early, and nobody will be there to meet Jay, and he'll get lost and wander onto a runway. Because, you know, the kid doesn't have a brain in his head to use a payphone and call one of our cellphones, or ask the social worker who is accompanying him-"

"He's exaggerating." Casey claimed, smacking Derek's shoulder lightly. "I never said that... well, most of it, anyway."

Edwin rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Case." he said, sighing. "Hey, Lizzie. Wanna grab me another drink?"

Lizzie, who was standing at the kitchen counter, raised an eyebrow at him curiously, expecting him to claim he was joking at any second. When he never, she laughed.

"Get a life, Ed." she said, turning away again. "I live here because it's cheaper for us to share an apartment, not to provide maid service. I am not here for your entertainment."

"Put on the maid uniform and we'll talk." he smirked, winking at her.

She gave a disgusted sigh and turned away, muttering to herself about obnoxious men who didn't know how to control their own words. The two of them had been living together since they'd finished high school, and hadn't bothered to seperate since. There was no romantic relationship between them, that anyone else knew of, anyway, but they had to wonder sometimes when Edwin flirted with her like that. Derek was almost certain that there was something there, but when he'd mentioned this to Casey, she'd told him to leave them alone, that if there really was something going on, they'd tell everyone when they were ready.

"So, Jeff." Edwin said, turning to his nephew. "Tomorrow morning, if you're up really early, maybe we can fit in some street hockey before you have to go home."

'Street hockey', with Jeff, usually consisted of him using a plastic hockey stick to shoot the sponge ball into the net, which was usually a foot or so away.

Casey, however, raised an eyebrow disapprovingly, and Edwin's eyes locked with hers, cringing at her disapproval.

"Er... I mean... driveway hockey..." he trailed off, yet her gaze remained uncertain. "With... kneepads, and... helmets... and... oh stop it with the stares, woman! It's freakin' hockey! Have me or Derek ever got critically injured in a game of hockey?"

"Well, there was that time you sprained your finger juggling hockey sticks." Lizzie said, turning around and shrugging.

Derek chuckled, but then stopped, a strange look coming across his face.

"Wait a second." he said suddenly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at his younger brother. "That was with me. Are you saying it happened twice?"

"Moving on!" Edwin said, clapping his hands together, and grinning, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "What movie are you seeing?"

So Casey and Derek stayed to talk to their siblings for a good hour and a half, before heading out to the movie. Neither of them were too focused on either their conversation with Edwin and Lizzie, or even the movie, for that matter. All that they could think of was that their son was on his way back to them, back home, where he belonged. Where he would always belong.

- - - -

"What time is it?" Casey asked, biting her nails nervously. "Is the plane there yet?"

"It's two fifty-three." Derek sighed, tilting his head back against the window on the observation deck. "And, no, Casey. The plane isn't there yet. Do you see an airplane out there?"

Casey paced back and forth, wringing her hands nervously.

"What if we got the wrong flight?" she asked, chewing her lower lip. Derek watched her as she paced the room, wanting to laugh at her nerve-wracked manner. "What if his flight got delayed, or cancelled?"

Derek rolled his eyes, glancing out the window again, to see no airplane.

"Casey, if the flight was cancelled or delayed, it would be displayed on the screen, remember?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, the weather is perfect."

"You're right." she said, slowing her pacing and taking a deep breath, trying to relax herself.

Derek smirked, shrugging his shoulders carelessly.

"Well, duh." he said cockily. "I'm Derek Venturi, I'm always-"

"What if he got off on a stopover, and didn't know to get back onto the plane?" she asked, stopping dead in her tracks, her eyes widened. "Oh, God. I bet he did. What if-"

"Planes here!" Derek called, not even looking out the window. She snapped towards the wide glass wall, hope etched across her face. When she saw that he had been lying, and that the runway was still clear, she scowled, before crossing the room to smack his shoulder angrily.

"Not funny, Derek." she said, pouting. "I'm nervous."

"I noticed." he said, smiling. "Wipe the pout off of your face and c'mere." he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. He held her at an angle so that she could still look at him, too.

"Relax, baby. Jayden is a smart kid, and the airline is very reliable." he assured her, pressing a kiss to the base of her neck and feeling grateful that they were the only ones on the observation deck. "Calm down, okay? He's got Mr.Easton with him, if anything goes wrong."

He paused long enough to pull her tighter to him, and kiss along the back of her neck. She giggled, covering her mouth up so that the sounds would not reach any travellers who happened to be passing by that room. He smirked against her skin, caressing her sides gently with his hands.

"D-Derek..." she laughed, trying not to let his actions get to her. "C'mon, we're in an airport."

"Airports are hot, and nobody else is in the room." he grinned, kissing along her shoulder gently.

"There are cameras." she pointed out, feeling suddenly self-concious. "They'll see it."

"Some entertainment for the night guy." Derek shrugged, turning her around so that he could kiss her lips gently. She giggled, allowing him to kiss her, and let her hand rub the back of his neck tenderly. He was just about to turn her around fully, to make things more comfortable, when he heard the distinct sound of an engine outside the window behind him. He grinned, before deepening the kiss for just a second, and then pulling back. She bit her lip and smiled at him, a knowing look in her eyes.

"You did that just to distract me, didn't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He laughed, and nodded, kissing her forehead.

"That, and I sort of like having an extremely sexy woman sitting on my lap." he said with a wink, and she smacked his shoulder playfully, before kissing his lips and standing up. She grabbed his hand, and pulled him towards the stairs, to get to the arrival gate.

- - - -

There were only twenty odd passengers on Jayden's flight. It was a smaller plane, so it was to be expected, really. Add in the fact that it was three o'clock in the morning, and their flight was very limited. Casey held onto Derek's hand tightly as they waited for Jayden to exit the terminal. She was fidgeting nervously, as though afraid Jayden wouldn't emerge from the little doorway like the rest of them were. Derek, although he would never admit it, was also nervous, to say the least. He tried not to show it, for Casey's sake, and for his own dignity.

"I can't wait to see him." Casey said, leaning her head onto his shoulder and smiling. "Two weeks seemed like forever."

"I know." Derek said, kissing her temple lightly. "But you realize that this is the start of... everything. I mean, we've got no real custody over him, so he could be taken from us at anytime, and we can't do anything about-"

"Be quiet, he's there." Casey said, dropping Derek's hand, and rushing towards the twelve year old who had just stepped out of the terminal and into the arrival area. Jayden had barely had a chance to lay down his carry-on when Casey threw her arms around him in a hug. He was slightly taken aback, but he grinned, wrapping his arms around her neck and closing his eyes happily.

"Hey, Case." he said, clearly exhausted, but happy. "What's up?"

"You're not leaving again." she murmered, squeezing him tightly to her. Derek grinned, running a hand through his hair and taking a step towards the pair.

"Give the kid some air, baby." he suggested, chuckling lightly. Jayden's eyes opened to look up at the older man, and he pulled back from Casey slowly, and stood in front of Derek, smiling slightly.

"Hey, Derek." he said, and Derek grinned, before pulling Jayden into a hug. He hated hugging, but with his own family, it was different. Especially when he had been seperated from Jayden for so long.

"I'm so glad you're back." he murmered close to Jayden's ear, so only he could hear it.

"Me too." Jayden whispered back, hugging Derek tightly.

He pulled back, and examined the both of them with happiness in his eyes.

"I really missed you guys." he told them, unable to wipe the smile off his face. He glanced around, as though confused. "Where's Jeff?"

"He's gone to Edwin and Lizzie's for the night." Casey explained, grabbing Jayden's bag, and handing it to Derek, who slung it over his shoulder. They watched as Mr.Easton exited the terminal, and came up behind them, offering a tired smile.

"What a flight." he said, sounding more casual then he ever had before. "An excellent trip though, I must say. I've got a tan."

Derek wanted to laugh, but one look from Casey told him that this would be rude, so he kept his mouth shut, and nodded, glancing down at Jayden.

"How come you don't have a tan?" he asked, confused.

Jayden blushed a little as they walked towards the luggage pickup area.

"I was grounded... for, uh, you know... fighting." he said, shrugging, and Derek bent down a little to examine Jayden's formerly cut lip.

"Looks like it healed over nicely, though." he said, relieved. "No more fighting though, okay?"

"Alright." Jayden said, sighing as they waited for the bags to come around on the machine. He glanced up at Casey, and squinted, as though examining her carefully. She noticed, and raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Something wrong, Jay?" she asked, unsure as to why he was giving her such a look.

Jayden simply shrugged, and gave a forced half smile.

"I was just wondering..." he said slowly, biting his lower lip. "Are you okay? I know you said you were, but when Derek told me what happened-"

"I'm fine, Jay." she said, smiling at him. "Don't worry about me, alright? It wasn't that bad."

"Yes, it was." Derek argued, wincing at the memory. He took her hand and squeezed it carefully. "She had me worried sick."

"Any suspects?" Mr.Easton asked, raising an eyebrow.

Derek gave Casey a meaningful look, but then shook his head, knowing it was best not to share their suspicions with the social worker.

"No, none yet." he said, and he could've sworn Jayden could see right through his lie, for his eyes flickered up to stare into Derek's for a quick moment, before Casey asked him if the black bag coming towards him was his, and he was forced to look away and grab the bag.

When he had retrieved all of his belongings, Derek took Casey's hand, and left the airport with his oldest son. With the small exception of Jeff's absence, they had their family back. They were all together again, for now at least. And Derek could now fully appreciate that feeling.

- - - -

"Morning, beautiful."

Casey looked up from her cup to see Derek leaning against the counter, smirking at her. She smiled softly, yawning.

"Morning." she returned, and he frowned, clearly disappointed.

"Oh, sure." he mused, shaking his head. "I call you beautiful, even with your bedhead, and you take one look at me and say 'Morning'. That makes me feel so unloved, Casey. So unloved."

She rolled her eyes, pushing a glass of juice towards him.

"Shut up and have some juice." she laughed, scratching the back of her neck absent-mindedly. She was totally exhausted, as was Derek. By the time they'd gotten home and settled away, it'd been well after four in the morning. And as Derek glanced up at the clock, he realized it was already ten thirty. They hadn't had much sleep at all. Nonetheless, he took a seat across from her, yawning.

"Jeff home yet?" he asked curiously, taking a sip of the orange juice in front of him.

Casey shook her head, pushing her empty glass towards the middle of the surface.

"I called Edwin and told him to hold off until afternoon." she informed him, shrugging. "Jayden needs some sleep, and if Jeff gets home, he'll never get it. Edwin said it was fine though; apparantly, they stayed up late to watch a movie. Jeff was still asleep when I called twenty minutes ago."

Derek yawned, and shrugged, unmoved.

"Good enough." he sighed, before a look of worry crossed his face.

Casey noticed, and frowned, confused.

"Everything alright?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You seem... distracted."

Derek looked up, offering her a casual shrug, and sighing, unsure of how to answer her question.

"I'm okay, I guess." he said, taking one of her hands in his, rubbing his thumb across her wrist gently. "It's just... I mean, I try not to get worried, but..."

"Derek you're under alot of stress right now." she said, kissing his knuckles softly. "Being worried makes sense."

"You don't even know the half of it." Derek muttered, pulling his hand from hers and burying his face into his hands desperately.

She gave him a curious look, apparantly not understanding what he meant. She stood up, and went around the table to stand next to him. She placed a hand gently on his back, frowning.

"What do you mean, Derek?" she asked, sounding worried. "What's going on?"

Derek fell silent, not wanting to go into detail about it. He didn't want to make Casey feel like she wasn't doing enough to help, because she was. She was trying as hard as she could to make sure their family stayed in tact. But most of the responsibility had been placed on Derek's shoulders. He had to protect Jayden from leaving again, protect Casey and Jeff from getting hurt should something like the break-in happen again, and keep their whole family happy, all at the same time. The weight of it was suffocating him; he felt like his life was spiralling out of control slowly, and there was nothing he could do to pull it back to safety. He couldn't even imagine what would happen if they lost the trial. The past two weeks had been miserable for all of them. How could they live like that permanently? He was afraid to know.

"It's nothing, Casey." he dismissed, not wanting to bother her with his problems. "Just, forget it."

"No." she said, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to relax him a bit, for she must have noticed how tense he was. "You should be happy, considering Jayden's home and everything, but you're clearly not happy about something. And I want to know what it is."

"Drop it, Casey." he muttered, growing angry.

"You're going to tell me." she said knowingly, her hands continuing their massage. "Please, Derek."

"I said drop it." he said, his teeth clenched. Why couldn't she just drop it? He wasn't going to force his burdens onto her. That wasn't fair of him.

"But-"

"Jesus Chris, Casey! Would you fuckin' drop it?" he cried, whipping around. She stumbled backwards, bumping into the wall, and he cringed, before rubbing his forehead with his hand, his eyes shut tightly.

"Casey, I'm sorry." he said, standing up, and making his way towards her. She shook her head at him, disgusted.

"I was only trying to help, Derek." she said angily, her voice lined with hurt. "You didn't have to freak out at me."

"Casey, c'mon, I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me?" he asked, frowning.

Before she could even answer, Jayden entered the kitchen, yawning and scratching the back of his head, clearly still tired.

"Nothing like sleeping in your very own bed." he said happily as he made his way to the fridge, his eyes only half open. "My own pillow, my own sheets, no Mozart."

"Mozart?" Derek asked, turning away from Casey and raising an eyebrow.

Jayden glanced over, frowning.

"Don't ask." was all he said, before bending down to find what he wanted in the fridge.

Derek shook his head in confusion, noticing that Casey pushed her way past him and returned to her spot on her stool.

"Wasn't planning on it." he murmered, before sitting down again and pretending to be very interested in his juice.

- - - -

"Three... two... one..."

"_Jay!"_

The little boy's voice could be heard ringing throughout the house, and Derek smirked as he tilted his head back against the pillow, listening to his son cry out in excitement downstairs. Edwin had just pulled up in the driveway, and Derek had predicted how long it would take for Jeff to get excited.

He pushed himself up off of the bed, knowing full well that Jayden was probably being tackled somewhere downstairs. He made his way to the living room, where he stopped on the landing of the stairs, grinning as he saw Jeff up in Jayden's arms, his own arms wrapped tightly around his brother's neck. Jayden was grinning, even with his lack of oxygen, and Edwin was leaning up against the wall, chuckling lightly.

"He wouldn't stop asking how much longer the whole way over here." he said, bending down to push the car seat that he'd borrowed from them in against the wall. "How's it going, Jay?"

Jayden let his younger brother slide out of his arms, back down onto the floor again, and he grinned, allowing his uncle to give him a one-armed hug.

"Good." he said, his hair falling down around his eyes. He blew it out of the way as Edwin examined him.

"I heard you got into a fight." he observed, grinning. "Awesome, little dude. Just as long as you don't have Derek training you."

"Hey!" Derek said, scowling at his brother. "I taught you just fine. It's not my fault you couldn't handle the 'D-Moves'."

Edwin raised an eyebrow, sighing. Before he could answer, a female voice piped up.

"Yeah, because pillow fluffing was a great way to prepare for battle." she said, coming up next to Derek. He put an arm around her cautiously, but she shrugged it away, heading for her youngest son and lifting him up into her arms. Derek frowned, but watched as Casey grinned at the toddler.

"Did you have fun at Lizzie and Edwin's, baby?" she asked him, smiling and brushing his brown hair away from his eyes.

Jeff nodded, silent. It wasn't hard to tell he was still exhausted from his lack of sleep, like the rest of them were. But having Jayden back was worth the fatigue.

"Come on, Jeff." Jayden said, grinning at his brother. "I got lots of new ideas for pranks. Told you I'd think of some."

Jeff grinned, and wriggled out of his mother's grasp, before scrambling towards the stairs after the older boy. The adults remained silent until a bedroom door closed upstairs, and then, everything was silent.

"Good luck with that." Edwin chuckled, grinning. A moment later, his face turned serious, and he spoke up again. "So any clue on when the trial is going to start?"

Derek shook his head, feeling akward standing so far from Casey, and knowing she was angry with him.

"No clue." he said, trying to ignore her anger. "Sometime soon, I guess."

Derek didn't want to discuss the custody case. It was bad enough that Jayden's fate was still so undetermined. He hated that they were going to have to go through a whole legal matter, after all that they'd already been through. He just wanted it all to end, and his life to return to normal.

Well, as normal as it could be, with him and Casey being involved.

* * *

**Reviews are much appreciated. -smiles-**


	19. Just A Regular Kid

**Here's chapter nineteen. Thanks for reviewing, please continue to do so. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Life With Derek, Harry Potter, or anything else mentioned in this chapter, minus my OC characters.**

**Chapter Nineteen: Just A Regular Kid**

"Casey..." Derek muttered, knocking on the door of their bedroom persistantly. "C'mon, Casey. Open the door."

Casey sighed, yanking the door open from the inside. Derek, who had been leaning against it, practically fell in, his mouth open with surprise. He had been knocking for over twenty minutes, so he hadn't really expected her to open it up then. He caught himself on the edge of the dresser, and attempted to stand up straight. He grinned stupidly, rolling his eyes.

"It's 'bout time you let me in, Case." he laughed, propping his hands up against the dresser. "What were you doin', anyway?"

Casey raised an eyebrow at his foolish attitude, frowning. She closed the door, and took a step towards him, studying him curiously. His shirt was rumpled up, matching his ruffled hair, and he was a bit... disorganized, moreso than usual.

"You're half drunk, aren't you?" she guessed, recognizing his sloppy appearance instantly as a sign of his stupidity. "Derek, what's your issue?"

Derek frowned, some of his foolishness wearing off immediately at her scorn. He gave a lopsided shrug, almost losing his balance.

"I'm allowed to have a little bit of fun, aren't I?" he asked, his eyebrows scrunched together with disapproval. "C'mon, Casey. Lighten up, would you?"

Casey took a step towards him again, scowling.

"Lighten up?" she repeated, sounding extremely angry. Derek's drunk stupor was wearing off more and more as her anger increased, and he began to realize that she was really mad at him. "Derek, we've got a two year old and a twelve year old in this house, neither of which should have to watch their father stumble around like a drunk."

"I'm not drunk, Casey." he said, his words slightly slurred. "Honestly, I'm not. It was just a... just a little bit, baby."

Casey winced at him, clearly trying to understand his feelings over her own. Trying to figure out why he was being such a jerk today.

"Listen." she said slowly, biting her lower lip. "I know that you're really stressed out, right now. And I know you're having a hard time, but we all are, and I really don't think that- wait, where did you even go? You've been gone all night. I didn't even see you leave."

"Out with Sam and Ralph." Derek grinned, shrugging. He caught sight of the unamused look on her face, and frowned. "You mad at me, Case?"

"No, I was mad earlier." she said, scowling. "Now I'm infuriated."

Out of nowhere, he burst out laughing, and Casey's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Infuri...rhymes with Venturi." he laughed, snorting. "Infury...Infurrytate? Haha, that was a funny word, Case."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair impatiently. She seemed to sense that she wasn't going to win a battle with a drunk Derek.

"Sure, Derek." she said, wrapping her fingers around his wrist, and pulling him towards the bed. "Whatever you say."

She pulled his jacket off of him, slipping it down over his arms, and tossed it onto a chair in the corner of the room. Derek cracked up laughing at this, his eyes unfocused and distraced.

"Damn straight." he laughed, grinning. "I am _so_ too sexy for my shirt."

She bit her lip to keep from laughing at his statement, and pushed him down into his spot, throwing the blankets over him. She never even bothered to ask him to get changed. It wouldn't be worth the trouble.

She crawled into bed next to him, after flicking off her lamp and, despite her anger towards him, she allowed him to wrap his arm lazily around her waist, and press a kiss to the base of her neck before drifting off to sleep.

- - - -

"Ow."

"Shut up."

"It hurts."

"It's a massage."

"Casey, what are you doing to Derek?"

"She's torturing me; call the cops."

Casey rolled her eyes, pressing her hands down against Derek's back again, a bit harder than usual, just out of spite.

"If you don't shut up, there will be a real reason to call the cops." she warned him, before turning to Jayden. "Derek's an idiot. I'm trying to beat the stupid out of him."

Derek scowled, his face pressed down against the pillow.

"She's lying." he informed Jayden as Casey shifted above him. He was lying on his stomach, and she was practically sitting on top of him, pressing her hands down against his lower back. "I rolled out of bed this morning. I made the mistake of telling her I thought I sprained something."

"That's what you get for sooking, then." she scowled, still not completely forgiving him for his actions the day before. The phone rang, and she frowned. "Jayden, you want to go downstairs and get that? I've got to help this idiot."

Jayden grinned, happy to be back to the madhouse, and nodded, before turning and darting down the stairs to answer the telephone. Derek groaned as she kneaded his back again with her knuckles.

"Alright, enough already." he mumbled, frowning. "I'm through with playing Doctor. Unless you plan on getting a nurses outfit, 'cause then we can definitely talk, among other things."

"You've got no right to be sassing me, or making any presumptuous comments at me." she snapped, glaring at the back of his head. "You're lucky I'm even doing this for you."

"Why?" Derek asked, confused. "What'd I do?"

"Infuri, rhymes with Venturi?" Casey reminded him, and he remained silent. "You idiot. As if I wasn't pissed off enough when you went spazzoid on my ass. Then you went out and got wasted. Did you remember we were going to take the kids out last night, for dinner?"

He didn't respond.

"Jayden's birthday?" she tried, and he cursed under his breath. "It's fine, okay? I never even told him we were going. It was going to just be a spur of the moment thing. So don't beat yourself up over it; we'll just go tonight."

"Alright." Derek said, sounding disappointed in himself. "I'm sorry, alright? I was just really stressed out, and-"

"What'd I say?" she asked, bending down a little to kiss the spot below his ear. He shuddered, and she grinned. "Don't worry about it."

"Worries pretty much fly free as a bird when you do that." he informed her in a whisper. "Maybe you should do it again."

"And maybe..." she said, smirking as she rolled off of him, and lay on her side to face him. "You've got extremely high hopes. Get real, Venturi. You're crazy."

"For you." he added with a wink, and she rolled her eyes.

"I got over your sweet talk years ago." she informed him, sounding bored. "It gets old after I hear the same lines twenty times a day."

Derek grinned, rolling onto his side and pulling her closer to him, his lips inches from hers.

"What about 'I love you'?" he asked knowingly, his lips brushing against hers for a brief moment. "Ever get tired of hearing that one?"

Casey smiled, kissing him quickly, and pressing her forehead up against his.

"Now, _that, _Mr.Venturi, is a line I'll never get tired of hearing." she informed him, before allowing him to growl playfully, and roll over, pinning her down against the bed. It was only a moment before he'd captured her lips with his, and all signs of a fight evaporated into thin air.

- - - -

"And Logan is _super_ cool." Jayden droned, dipping his french fry in ketchup happily. "His Dad runs a _surf shack_! How cool is that? And his Mom knew my Mom, and his older brother gives surfing lessons. I got free ones, 'cause I'm Logan's friend. And he gave me his old surfboard for my birthday. I mean, I can't use it here, but I can put it up in my room. How cool is that?"

"Super cool, little dude." Derek said, swiping one of Jayden's fries, and shoving it into his mouth.

"Derek!" Casey scolded, shaking her head. "Eat your own."

"Mine are gone." Derek shrugged, unmoved. He moved to take another one, but Jayden slapped his hand away.

"_My_ fries." he said defensively, frowning. Derek scowled and slouched down into his seat. "...loser." Jayden finished, shoving the fry in question into his mouth.

Derek grinned mischeviously, snaking a hand towards Casey's plate, but then he frowned, realizing she had no french fries.

"What the-"

"-heck!" Jayden intervened, grinning.

Derek's mouth hung open as his sentence was cut off, and he closed it again, regaining his composure.

"Er- right." he said, taking a deep breath. "What the _heck_ is that?"

Casey rolled her eyes at his inability to remember appropriate language around their kids, but glanced down at her meal contently.

"Chicken stirfry with a side salad." she said proudly, taking a bite. He gave her a disgusted look, and she shrugged. "What? I'm on a diet."

"A diet?" Derek questioned, raising an eyebrow. "You don't need to be on a diet, baby. You're already too small."

"It's got nothing to do with weight, Derek." she said, rolling her eyes. "It makes your body healthier, makes you more energized, it-"

"Alright, alright, enough of the health lesson." he grumbled, stabbing at a piece of chicken on his plate. "Geez, I ask one question and I get a whole lecture on the benefits of eating healthy."

Casey shrugged, smiling to herself.

"You asked." she reminded him, before taking another bite of her salad. Derek rolled his eyes and looked away, wondering how the hell him and Casey worked so well together. They were total opposites.

Then again, it was said that opposites attract.

After their dessert came, and they began to eat, Derek grinned at Jayden, poking at his banana split happily.

"So, Jayden." he started, a thought occuring to him. "What do you say we go and get your birthday gift after dinner? I had it saved on layaway."

"Layaway?" Jayden snorted, laughing. "Geez, Derek. Think you could at least wrap it for me?"

Derek raised an eyebrow.

"It's a little too big to wrap." he said, and Jayden's eyes went wide.

"Am I getting a puppy?" he asked, excitement in his eyes.

Jeff, who had been chewing absent-mindedly on a piece of cake, brightened, and dropped the cake onto his shirt.

"Puppy?" he asked, clapping his hands together excitedly. He gave his brother an excited look, all of a sudden cheerful. "Rufus!"

"We aren't naming it Rufus, you dork." Jayden scolded, shaking his head. "How about... Hedwig?"

"The owl from Harry Potter?" Casey asked, raising an eyebrow. "But he died after." she trailed off, getting teary eyed. "And now I'm sad. Great. We _so_ can't name the dog Hedwig, or I'll burst into tears everytime I see it, and then the dog will feel unloved, and then I'll be even sadder, and-"

"Casey!" Derek cried, his eyebrows scrunched up in amazement. She stopped panicking as his fingers closed around her wrist, and she gave him a tearful look. "There's no dog, remember?"

Casey's eyes narrowed in confusion, and then she relaxed, leaning back in her chair.

"Right." she said, dipping her spoon into her strawberry parfait happily. "Okay then."

"What?" Jayden asked, disappointed. "No dog? Aw,man!"

"No doggie?"

"If you don't be quiet, I'm not giving you anything for your birthday." Derek grumbled, knowing Jayden would absolutely love the basketball net that Derek had gotten him. It would give him a load of practice before tryouts the following school year. Derek and Sam had big plans on coaching him later on that month, since much of their childhood and adolesence had been spent playing hockey and basketball. Ralph had claimed he wanted to help, but the last time they played basketball with Ralph, he had wanted to get leather jerseys with their names stitched across the back in yellow. They had quickly dismissed the idea, and had chosen not to visit the memory since. Derek shuddered, turning back to Jayden.

"So, Jay." he said, taking a deep breath and preparing to bring up another topic. "How did you enjoy your stay with your grandmother?"

Jayden's spoon stopped halfway to his mouth, and he gave Derek a surprised look, clearly having forgotten entirely about his trip. Derek felt bad for bringing it up, but he was genuinely curious.

Jayden slowly shrugged, lowering his spoon again, placing it down on his plate as he reached for his chocolate milk. He took a sip, as though trying to delay his answer.

"It was alright." he finally said, sounding unexcited. "I mean, I was grounded for the first week for fighting, so that was kind of boring. I kept trying to ask my grandmother about my mother, you know, since she'd know, but she doesn't really like talking about her."

"It's probably a hard topic to discuss." Casey agreed, nodding, and she noticed that Derek shot her a confused look, clearly shocked by her sudden siding with Natalie's reasoning. She sighed, deciding to explain herself.

"It's just... Jenna was her daughter. She died, Derek, not to mention on a day that was supposed to be celebrated. And she was what, eighteen? Nineteen? That can't be an easy thing to talk about."

"Still, every kid deserves to know about his mother." Derek argued, and Jayden nodded in agreement. "She's pretty much the only person who can tell Jayden what he needs to know, and she won't do it."

"I think my Mom would want me to know what she was like." Jayden said, nodding. "My Dad would've, too."

"Yeah, he did." Derek said, nodding. "He used to tell me how he was never going to let Jenna's memory die. He said that when Jayden got older, he was going to know all about his mother. Everything there was to know. He even had a scrapbook done up to give Jayden when he was old enough."

Jayden, who had just opened up his mouth to say something, turned towards Derek in shock, speechless. His mouth opened and closed a few times, before he managed to get something out.

"M-My father made me something?" he asked, sounding vaguely hopeful. "Wh-Where is it?"

Derek fell silent, just recognizing what he had said. He had forgotten about the scrapbook that Jeff had once taken such pride in organizing. It had pictures that ranged everywhere from when Jenna was a little girl, right up until a month before Jayden's birth. The very last thing in the book was Jayden's birth certificate, recognizing the importance of her son to her life. Before that had been a picture of Jeff and Jenna, one that Jayen had framed on his own dresser. Jeff had spent many nights putting it together, and Derek had witnessed the care he put into it.

And now, where was it? He was ashamed to say that he had no clue. He had been so disturbed and distraught by his best friend's death that he hadn't thought to rescue one of his most prized posessions from the midst of their belongings.

"I don't really know, Jay." he admitted sadly, frowning. He saw Jayden's face fall, and he instantly felt terrible. "But listen, I promise I'll try and find it for you, okay? I'll call your father's parents. I mean, they took a lot of your fathers belongings when he died. Maybe they took that without realizing."

"Yeah... maybe." Jayden said, sounding as though he didn't want to allow himself to get too hopeful. "Just let me know. I'd... I'd really like it. I mean, I love you guys, and you really have become my parents, but..."

"Don't explain, Jayden." Casey said, softening instantly. "We know. You want to know more about your real parents. It's natural to be curious about it. Don't worry. We wouldn't hold something like that against you."

Jayden gave a grateful smiole towards her, before turning back to his dessert, knowing that he didn't have to respond.

- - - -

"July eleventh?" Derek questioned, pressing his forehead against the palm of his hands. "That soon?"

"Yes." Mr.Easton said, sounding slightly sympathetic. "We want to get this figured out before the school year starts up, just so we won't have to mess around with interfering school schedules, and switching Jayden around, if necessary."

Derek prayed that wouldn't happen, but nodded slowly, holding the phone a little closer to his ear.

"Mr.Easton..." he said slowly, fear clenching at his heart. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." the man said, his tone friendlier than it had been before Jayden's trip. Derek had a feeling that the social worker knew how hard this all was on the Venturis, and was becoming slightly more sympathetic towards them. Derek appreciated this, but did not think much more of it as he took a deep breath, preparing to ask a very serious question.

"I want you to answer this as honestly as you possibly can." he said, hesitant. "I don't want some pity answer."

"I assure you, Mr.Venturi." the man said, sighing. "I will answer your question to the best of my ability."

Drawing in a shaky breath, Derek's eyes clenched shut, worry pulsing through him.

"What are our chances?" he asked nervously. "Of winning, I mean. After you've done this whole... trial custody thing, you've got to have a better idea of where things stand."

Mr.Easton remained silent, clearly not wanting to answer his question.

"Answer me, please." Derek said, trying not to beg.

"I can't answer you." he said sadly, and Derek was a bit relieved to hear that he sounded like he was telling the truth. "It's anyone's game, at this point. Until the trial starts, there's really not much more I can tell you, other than to go over everything with your lawyer a couple of times, and try and enjoy the time you've got with him, just in case."

"He won't be taken away before the trial, will he?" Derek asked, uncertainty flooding through him. "He'll be able to stay with us until the final decision is reached?"

"Right." Mr.Easton said, and Derek sighed with relief. "Anyway, I've got to call Ms.Turner and let her know the date that the trial will start, so she can arrange a flight to Canada." he said, sounding tired. "Have a nice evening, Mr.Venturi."

"You too." Derek sighed, before hanging up the phone, and pressing his hands to his face. July eleventh was only about a week away. He couldn't face the possibility of only having Jayden around for a few more weeks.

Making a mental note to call Cole later, Derek stood up, and made his way downstairs, and out through the back door. He cwent around the side of the house to the driveway, where Jayden was practicing his free-throw. He was wearing his new sneakers, and using his new ball and net. He had been ecstatic upon receiving the gift from his family. They had gotten home two hours before, and he had barely left the driveway since. Derek had been playing a game of one on one with him until the phone had rang for him ten minutes before.

Jayden tossed him the basketball, and Derek caught it against his chest, almost stumbling from lack of attention.

"C'mon." Jayden said, grinning. "You're six points ahead and I plan on changing that."

He made to snatch the ball from Derek again, but Derek shook his head, tucking the ball under his arm and frowning.

"Wait a second, Jay." he said, distracted.

Jayden's face instantly creased with worry, and he gave Derek a searching look.

"What is it?" he questioned, curious. "What's wrong? Who called?"

"Mr.Easton." Derek said, and Jayden paled. Recognizing that Jayden was almost sick with worry, he rushed on. "He wanted to let us know the day that the trial will start."

Jayden seemed to relax a bit, but he blinked at Derek, waiting expectantly. Realizing that he wasn't going to speak, Derek continued.

"July eleventh." he sighed, his hair blowing in the wind lightly. "You okay with that?"

Jayden bit his lower lip, thinking this over. Derek was afraid that the kid would overreact to this piece of information and freak, but Jayden merely nodded, and motioned for Derek to toss the ball to him.

"I don't care." he said, sounding truthful. "I just want to get it over with. The sooner, the better, in my opinion. Now c'mon, toss me the ball."

Derek hesitated at Jayden's slightly optimistic outlook on the situation, but nodded in agreement, knowing that Jayden didn't want to talk about the trial. He wanted to be a kid for a change. Just a regular kid. A kid who didn't have the weight of a custody trial sitting on his shoulders, or the death of two parents looming over his head, or an uptight grandmother who was trying to destroy his stability.

Because, deep down, Jayden was just as normal of a kid as anyone else.

* * *

**Review, please :) **


	20. The Trial

**I'm not going to go into excuses about the late-ness of this chapter. I'll just say I'm sorry, and I hope you enjoy it. By the way, I know nothing about court proceedings, so I did my best.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing :( So sad. **

**Chapter Twenty: The Trial**

July eleventh. The Venturis had been dreading this day all week long, and yet somehow, it had arrived very quickly. Derek and Casey had been trying to keep Jayden distracted from the situation as much as possible, and it had been working- sort of. Everyday, they would make sure that he had something to do, so that his time would not be spent thinking about the possibility of being taken away.

But the possibility was becoming more and more real to Derek as he lay in bed that morning, staring at the ceiling. He wanted to go back to sleep, and not wake up again until this whole mess was fixed; until it could be assured that Jayden was home for good.

He gave a stressful sigh, closing his eyes briefly, but then he felt a hand on his cheek. Opening his eyes, he saw that Casey was awake, and had just brushed her hand against his face gently to get his attention.

"I didn't know you were awake." he noted, his voice tense and worried, despite the fact that the trial wasn't set to begin for another three hours. "Did you sleep well?"

Casey shook her head, blushing.

"Not really." she admitted, and he frowned. Normally, he would've given her a kiss when she woke up, or at least moved to hold her, but he couldn't find it in him to do that this morning. He was way too stressed.

"It'll be fine, Derek." Casey said, sensing his concern. "Cole's an amazing lawyer."

"Yeah?" Derek asked, allowing hope to enter his voice. "How many trials has he won? Even better, how many has he lost? Has he done a custody battle before? Do you think we went over things enough with him? Do you-"

"Derek!" Casey cried, placing a hand over his mouth, muffling the remainder of his sentence. He relaxed a bit, and she slowly unwrapped her hand from his mouth. "Relax, alright? Things are going to go as well as they possibly can. Cole will try his hardest to win this thing for us; you know he will. I don't know how many trials he's won or lost, but I know that he's done custody trials before, and most of them have worked out the way he wanted them to."

"Most of?" he asked, tensing, and she gave him a warning look, as though she knew what he was thinking.

"Derek, if we lose this thing, and I'm not saying we will, but if we do... you can't blame Cole, alright?" she told him, her voice gentle, but urgent. "He's trying his best. He wants us to win, but the final decision is up to the judge. Things don't always work out the way people want them to, and-"

"You don't sound too confident."

"I'm facing reality." she argued, shaking her head. "And if the reality is that Jayden has to leave, we can't blame Cole, alright?"

Derek nodded slowly, understanding what she was trying to say.

"Alright." he agreed, his voice harsh. "I won't blame Cole, I promise."

"Good." she said, kissing his forehead lightly. On any other day, he would've kissed her back, or at least said something romantic to her, but today, he had nothing.

"I'm going to get a shower." was all he said. She moved to give him a kiss, but he was already halfway towards the bathroom by then.

She sighed, flopping back down onto their bed, running a hand through her hair. Today was the beginning of a long, cold battle; she could already tell. She turned over and buried her face into her pillow, trying to will herself to go back to sleep, if only for ten minutes.

- - - -

"Fix your tie."

"It looks fine, Casey."

"It's crooked."

"Nobody cares, baby."

"I care."

"Because you're weird." Derek finished, glaring towards the front of the courtroom pointedly. "Trust me, the least of my worries is what people think about my appearance."

Casey frowned, placing a hand on his arm gently, causing him to look towards her. He saw the pointed look on her face, almost as though she was desperate to make him listen to her.

"Derek, everything counts in court." she reminded him, reaching out and straightening up his tie for him. "Appearance, emotions, _anger management..."_

Derek frowned, raising an eyebrow at her accusatory tone. He grabbed her hand in his, and laced their fingers together, placing the joined hands against his knee.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked, genuinely confused, as usual. "Are you calling me tempermental, or bitchy?"

"Both." she said shamelessly, shrugging. He looked offended, and she sighed. "It's just, you have a tendency of not being able to control your anger, you know? You freak out when you get mad, but you can't do that here. This is a courtroom, Der. And yeah, it may seem like we're here to argue, but not in the way you'd like to do it. Be civil, don't curse at her, don't snap, and if there's anything you aren't sure is appropriate, don't say it. Just close your mouth, and nod or shake your head."

"I feel a lecture coming on." he sighed, running a hand through his hair and blowing out a slow and patient breath.

She rolled her eyes and kissed his hand gently.

"Just do as I say and everything will be fine." she assured him, shrugging as Jayden slipped into the seat next to her. She smiled at the kid, trying to act normal.

"Hey, kiddo." she said, noting how clean and proper he looked, with his white button up shirt and black dress pants. Casey had forced him into wearing a blue striped tie, claiming that he needed to look good for court. Derek, too, had required much persuading to clean up his act, but it had been worth it in the end. Casey had walked into the courtroom with two very annoyed, but good-looking, men.

"What time does this thing start?" Jayden asked, propping his feet up against the wooden bench in front of him. Casey frowned, and swatted his feet back down to the floor again. Jayden sighed, but did not protest.

"In about twenty minutes, I think." she informed him, and she saw Derek attempting to sneak a piece of gum from her purse on the other side. She turned, slapping his hand away. He scowled, rubbing the affected area of his hand, and sighed.

"Geez, woman." he grumbled, annoyed. "Would you stop it with the damn hitting?"

"Don't curse." she informed him, glancing around quickly. "And if you want me to stop hitting, I suggest you behave." she turned in time to see Jayden attempting to do the same thing. "And that goes for you too, Mister- no gum."

"But-"

"None."

"What if-"

"Not even."

"What about me, can I-" Derek cut in, and she groaned, leaning forwards and covering her ears with her hands.

"Honest to God, I could kill you both." she murmered, and Jayden and Derek grinned from either side of her, giving each other a quick thumbs up behind her back. She looked up, and the grins wiped instantly off their faces.

"You're too much alike." she grumbled, looking defeated. "Between you two and Jeff, I'm..."

"-annoyed?"

"-frustrated?"

"Ugh!" she cried, fed up, and Derek laughed, before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against his side in a one armed hug. He kissed the side of her head, his hand gripping her waist lightly.

"I'll stop now, baby." he assured her, still grinning. "Annoying you is an addiction, and I've had my morning fix. Besides, we need you in a good mood for this thing."

Jayden gave Derek a disbelieving look, shaking his head in dismay. Derek glanced at him, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"What are you looking at, fool?" he asked, confused by Jayden's disapproving stare.

"You're whipped, D." he said, sounding as though this was a tragic revelation to him. His voice was disappointed and defeated, and his facial expression suggested that he didn't understand Derek's sudden ability to give up on their wrongdoings and teasing.

Derek sighed, squeezing Casey a bit tighter to him as she rested her head onto his shoulder. He gave her a sideways glance, a tiny smile gracing his lips, before he turned back to the twelve year old boy, who was much less experienced in the world of women than he was.

"When you find a girl, you'll know why." he said, reminding himself, just as much as Jayden, that allowing himself to be dissolved into nothing more than some whipped, lovestruck man paid off, in the end. Well, most of the time anyway. He would never fully understand how men had to put up with the mood swings, the emotions, the expectations, and the out of whack hormones, whereas women got to sit there and watch their men freak out. It was one of those unsolved mysteries, to Derek, but he went along with it anyway. Just like every other generation of men that had ever walked the planet.

Jayden, who did not find this answer at all acceptable, frowned, and looked away.

"Find help, Derek." he said, shaking his head sadly. "You need it."

Derek shrugged, and kissed Casey's cheek quickly, before scanning the activity in the room carefully. There were about a dozen people milling around, some of them who were attending the trial, and others who were just leaving papers or belongings for the judge. There was a steady buzz that seemed to echo through the room, making the Venturis seem almost invisible. Derek looked towards the door just in time to see Cole burst in, looking exhausted. He scanned the room for a moment, before spotting them, and making his way towards them carefully, briefcase in hand.

"Hey guys." he said, laying his briefcase down next to Derek and perching himself on the bench ahead of them. "I'm really sorry I got here so late. For some reason, the alarm didn't go off, and-"

"Relax, Cole." Casey laughed, placing her hand on his arm gently. "You're here; that's what matters, right?"

Cole stared at her for a moment, before nodding, looking immensely relieved.

"Right." he breathed out, relaxing a bit. He glanced at the twelve year old in front of him, grinning. "Hey, Jay. How are you feeling?"

Jayden gave a careless sort of shrug, scrunching up his face.

"I'm alright, I guess." he said, sounding uncertain. "A bit nervous, I suppose, but..."

"-that's to be expected." Cole finished for him, nodding. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure your not the only one who's nervous."

"I'm not nervous." came a voice from behind, and the four of them looked up to see Natalie Turner hovering above them, a false smile plastered onto her face. "How's everyone doing today?"

Derek forced himself to smile, his teeth gritted tightly together as he fought back the urge to tackle the little homewrecker right into the ground.

"We're fine." he lied, holding Casey a little bit tighter to him. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Natalie looked slightly taken aback by his strong front, but she tried not to let it phase her as she gave a lopsided shrug, the smile never leaving her face.

"I don't know; maybe because the stability of your life is being threatened." she said. She didn't give Derek a chance to answer, before she had turned to Jayden. "How have you been doing, Jayden? Have they been treating you alright?"

Jayden raised an eyebrow, looking slightly offended by his grandmother's question. He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, and it was easy to see that he had been much more comfortable when it had just been the four of them.

"They always treat me good." he said defensively, his eyes darting back and forth between Cole, and his grandmother. "They're the best parents I could ask for. I don't even understand why I'm here; this is stupid."

"Did I treat you badly?" Natalie asked, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Well, no, but-"

"Did I yell at you?"

"Not really, but-"

"Did I do anything wrong?"

"Not exactly, but-"

"Then you can admit just as well as I that I can provide just as good of a home for you as the Venturis can." she said smugly, a triumphant smile gracing her lips. Jayden remained silent, and they all looked up to see the judge entering the courtroom. They hadn't noticed that the activity in the room had stopped, and that everyone was quiet. She gave them a smirk, before nodding at them, and making her way to the opposite side of the courtroom, where her lawyer, a short and balding man, was standing, ready to argue.

When all of the formalities had been cleared away, Natalie was asked to state why she was taking her case to the courts, and why exactly she wanted her grandson in the first place. She rose, her sweet and innocent smile making it's way onto her features once more. Derek had to wonder how the judge, and everyone else around them, couldn't see right through this act, but nonetheless, he remained quiet as she spoke.

"Your honour- I love my grandson very much." she started, and Derek rolled his eyes; she barely even knew the kid. "He's the only piece of my daughter I've got left. Her life was cut short at such a young age, and she only had the chance to have one son. My only other son, Devon, he lives in Toronto, and he's not married. As of right now, Jayden is my only grandchild, and I feel it is my right to be able to raise him in the way I believe my daughter would've wanted him raised."

"And if this is the case, why did you wait until now to bring this up?" the judge asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why not fight for custody when Mr.Walker's father died four years ago?"

Derek expected Natalie to be slightly taken aback by this question, but to his immediate disappointment, she was well prepared and ready to answer.

"I did try, sir." she said, nodding. "I was locked in a similar custody battle with Jeffrey Walker's parents. After their son's death, they wanted the boy, but so did I. We were weeks away from taking the case to court, when their son's will was found, and it was discovered that temporary custody of Jayden was to be granted to Mr.Venturi. After that, there was really nothing I could do. He had rightful custody. But now that his term is expired, I'd really like the chance to take what is rightfully mine."

"You may sit." the judge said, and she nodded politely, taking a seat. The judge turned to Derek and Casey, and Derek gulped nervously, knowing that it was their turn.

"Mr. or Mrs. Venturi?" the judge questioned, his eyes scanning the two with interest. "I must ask you to state your own case, now."

Derek turned to Casey, taking a deep breath. Cole had warned them of this, and they had decided that Derek would be the one to state their initial case, since he had been living with Jayden longer, and knew more about Jeff and Jenna than she did. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, as though telling her he'd try his best, before standing up, trying to remember everything Cole had told him.

_'Keep it brief and to the point.'_ he had told Derek, again and again. _'Don't repeat yourself. Don't let him know you're nervous. If you do, he'll think you've got something to be worried about. Refrain from personally attacking Natalie- don't mention her at all, if you can help it.'_

"Wow." he murmered under his breath, so that nobody else could hear him. How the hell was he supposed to speak at all, without breaking any of the rules that Cole had briefed him on? But as he looked down at Jayden, who had a desperate sort of look on his face, he remembered that he had to do his absolute best. He had to do whatever it took to ensure that Jayden stayed with them. Jayden was counting on him.

Drawing in a deep breath, he fought back every ounce of hesitance and fear that was coursing through his body, and spoke up.

"I've been looking after Jayden for four years now, and even longer when his father was alive. Me and my wife know Jayden better than anyone else does. We know his needs, we know what makes him comfortable. To take him away, to make him start over again, it'd be wrong. He's had to face so many changes in his life, that it seems cruel to tear him out of a home he's happy in, and make him adjust all over again." Derek said, before deciding to move onto the next point, to avoid repeating himself. "We fully understand that, biologically, we're from different families. But Jayden's grown to be our son, and is an excellent brother to our two year old. We're all comfortable with the arrangement we've got now, and it'd be emotionally damaging to all of us to lose him, now."

Derek looked up at the judge, hoping to see some sort of a reaction, but the expression on the man's face was unreadable as he nodded, motioning for Derek to return to his seat.

"Thank you, Mr.Venturi." he said, before glancing down at the stack of papers in front of him.

"It is my understanding that Mr.Walker spent a two week trial period in the care of Natalie Turner." he said, squinting at the page he held in his hands. "During that time, the social worker, Mr.Easton-" he said, with a nod towards the man who was sitting somewhere behind the Venturis. "-he reported that Jayden did not appear too unhappy. He displayed some classic signs of seperation, for a child. He wrote that there were times the boy was hit with strong urges to speak to his surrogate family-" he said, and Derek clenched his fists at the man's use of the incorrect word. "-and he also seemed to find the transition a bit difficult, but the social worker claims that these are things that would eventually be resolved if he was to be placed in the care of his maternal grandmother, Ms.Turner."

Derek's stomach clenched nervously, and he stole a sideways glance at Natalie, who appeared overly confident in herself. She had a smug smirk on her face, and Derek forced himself to look away. He didn't want to see how confident she was about all of this; it made him feel even more uncertain about the situation that he already was.

The judge glanced up at Cole, squinting at him through his glasses.

"Mr.Myers, I understand that you're the legal representation for the Venturi family?" he asked, and Cole nodded politely, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

"That's correct, Your Honour." he said, sounding strangely formal. None of them were used to the serious side of Cole. "I would also like to make it known that, although Jayden may adjust well to new surroundings, he has made it quite clear that he doesn't want to leave his home in London. He's become accustomed to adjusting to a new home, but he'd prefer not to."

The judge glanced from Cole to Jayden, giving the boy a curious look.

"Is that correct, Mr.Walker?" he asked, and Derek saw Jayden shrink back a little bit at the formal way he was being addressed. He bit his lip, and the judge gave him a more relaxed look, perhaps sensing he was intimidating the boy. "Jayden, would you mind coming up to the stand for us, please?"

Jayden gave Derek an uncertain look, as though he was unsure if this was something he should do. Derek gave him a tiny nod, and patted his shoulder lightly.

Slightly reassured, Jayden stood up, making his way towards the stand on shaking legs. He took a seat, trying to sit as straightly as possible, but he was trying so hard to keep himself upright that he wasn't really paying attention to his posture. The judge was apparantly trying to make Jayden comfortable, for he didn't sound as firm as he had before when he spoke.

"Alright, Jayden." he started as Jayden kept his gaze fixed firmly on his shoes. "I'm going to give both sides a chance to ask you a few questions, and I need you to answer them as honestly as you can. Don't feel pressured to give the answers you think we want to hear. We want to hear your honest opinion. If we know how you feel, it'll make it a lot easier for us to decide where you should live. Do you understand?"

Jayden gave a shaky nod, still not looking up.

"Yes, sir." he mumbled, sounding incredibly nervous. "I understand."

"Very good." the judge said, before glancing towards Natalie's lawyer. "Mr.Evans, do you have any questions for Mr.Walker?"

The man, who had remained strangely quiet up until now, nodded quickly, and stood up. He made his way towards the front of the courtroom, stopping in front of the small enclosement where Jayden was seated. Jayden squirmed uncomfortably, raising his gaze to see the very serious looking lawyer standing in front of him. The man did not crack a smile; he didn't even greet Jayden. He started right in on his questions, clearly not wanting to waste anytime. Derek knew it was more than that. Mr.Evans wasn't taking Jayden seriously purely because he was a child. To Mr.Evans, Jayden was nothing more than a minor, some kid who was going to earn him some money at the end of the day. And, essentially, Derek knew that Natalie thought of Jayden in a similar way. To her, he was a reputation booster, and nothing more. He was someone she could show off and control. Someone who would raise her already high-quality lifestyle. And Derek knew that this was why Jayden preferred Casey and Derek. They understood that he was a child, but they treated him as an equal, and as a contributing member of their family, not just as some kid who they had to look after.

It killed Derek to think that the judge just didn't see it that way.

"Mr.Walker," the lawyer started, glancing down at a sheet of paper in his hands. "I need you to tell me, overall, how you felt about your visit to your grandmother's."

Jayden shifted, trying to make himself comfortable, and he cleared his throat, preparing to answer.

"I don't know." he admitted, shrugging. "I mean, I was grounded for alot of it, but-"

"Why were you grounded?"

Jayden looked taken aback at this interruption, and Derek glared at Mr.Evans. He could at least let the poor kid finish a sentence. Nonetheless, Jayden tried not to let it phase him as he hurried to answer the second question that had been thrown at him.

"I... I got into a fistfight." he said quickly, ducking his head quickly as his cheeks turned a positive shade of scarlet. "On my first day there. My grandmother grounded me for a week."

"Why did you get into a fistfight?" he asked, scribbling a few things down onto a pad of paper that he held in his hands. "Did you start it?"

Ashamed, Jayden nodded, curling his hands around the edge of his shirt nervously, pulling on it to calm himself.

"Yeah, I started it." he admitted, knowing it was best to tell the truth. "I tried to beat up a fifteen year old because he was... he was making fun of me, and my family."

"What did he say about you and your family?"

Jayden looked extremely uncomfortable now, and Derek knew that he was afraid to admit the truth. Jayden himself was not embarassed by Casey and Derek's circumstances, but Cole had informed all of them to avoid bringing it up as much as possible. Morals would surely be questioned if the truth about their relationship was brought up, and that wasn't what they needed.

But it was obvious that this lawyer knew exactly what he was doing, and that he knew that Jayden had to admit to his family's origin.

"He made fun of me because my real parents are dead." he started, trying to avoid the inevitable. "He made fun of my real mother because she hung around with people that were lower class than her. And they made fun of Casey and Derek because... because they're stepsiblings, and they're married."

Natalie smirked, and Cole, not to mention Casey and Derek, tensed nervously. Mr.Evans, however, noticed none of this, and knew that he'd just hit gold; he had brought up something he could use against them.

"So, basically, the family you're currently living with... it would be fair to say that your surrogate parents have got some very... _questionable_ morals, am I correct?"

"Objection!" Cole cried, shooting up out of his seat. "That's completely irrelevant. This marriage isn't the issue, here. It has no impact upon Jayden, whatsoever, and Mr.Evans has no right to bring it up."

The judge looked hesitant for a moment, before turning back to Mr.Evans and nodding.

"Point irrelevant." he decided, and Cole sat back down again, relaxing. "We're not here to discuss the morality, or lack thereof, Mr. and Mrs. Venturi's marriage."

The smirk on Natalie's face faded slightly, and she seemed vaguely worried that one of her biggest attacking points was now useless to her. Derek knew, however, that this wouldn't be the last time they would hear this issue in the trial. If there was one thing he knew about Natalie, it was that she was stubborn and repeititve, and she loved to mock Casey and Derek's relationship. They'd hear more about this. But for now, he allowed himself to relax, and listen to the lawyer's next question.

"So would it be fair in saying you are being raised to think that violence is the answer to any conflict?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-No..." Jayden stammered, paling. "Not at all."

"No?" Mr.Evans repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Yet your first instinct upon a personal attack was to physically injure another child. You had to learn that from somewhere, didn't you?"

The hesitance on Jayden's face faded instantly, though it was easy to tell he was still worried. Derek knew, however, that his anger was overcoming his fear, at the moment, because there was hatred written all over his face as he responded.

"When someone personally attacks me or my family, I do what it takes to defend myself." he snapped angrily, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Anyone else would've done the same thing."

"He's twelve years old, Your Honour." Cole interrupted, giving Jayden a sideways glance. "How many of us can say we didn't get into some sort of a physical confrontation as a child?"

"Overruled." the judge objected, shaking his head. "Jayden should know the difference, by now. What the majority of us did as children is not relevant to the matter."

Cole frowned, but leaned back in his seat again, allowing the other man to continue. He'd have his turn to prove his point, he knew.

"Casey and Derek don't promote violence." Jayden tried to say. "It was instinct, alright? I take full responsibility for it. Now can we stop talking about the stupid fight, already? It was no big deal."

Mr.Evans smirked, scribbling something down onto his pad of paper as he spoke.

"On the contrary, Mr.Walker." he said, shaking his head. "It's a very big deal. But if you'd like to move on, we will. We may, however, revisit the matter later, if necessary."

Jayden cringed at the idea of having to come back to this later, bur he nodded, just happy for some sort of a temporary escape. Derek knew the poor kid was completely stressed out by now, and really, who wouldn't be? He was twelve years old, and he was being thrown a bunch of questions that he had to answer in the right way, if he didn't want to make his family look bad.

"So I understand that there is another child in your home." Mr.Evans said, rubbing his chin and reading over a few lines on his paper. "Jeff, is that correct?"

Jayden nodded slowly, uncurling his hand from his shirt, revealing a wrinkled patch of material, altered by his tight grip and sweaty palms. He gulped, sitting up a little straighter.

"And how do you get along with the other child?" he asked, watching Jayden's face intently for any sign of a reaction. "Do the two of you get along well?"

Jayden nodded, a tiny smile making it's way onto his lips.

"We get along great." he said, being completely honest. "He's my brother, but he's also my friend. I mean, we argue, sometimes, but all brothers do. We have lots of fun together, and I love having another kid to play with."

Mr.Evans looked discouraged by this positive response, and he frowned slightly, scrambling for some sort of negative outlet.

"I'm sure there are plenty of times that you're jealous of Jeffrey, though, right?" he asked, trying his best to sound sympathetic, but failing miserably. "I mean, he's got both of his parents looking after him. And despite everything the Venturis do for you, he will always be their biological son, whereas you will always be Jenna and Jeff's son; correct?"

Jayden's eyes narrowed, and he let an amused smile surface. He shook his head, letting laughter slip by his lips. Mr.Evans looked confused, clearly not seeing what was so amusing about this statement.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Jayden said, the smile still in place. "But if you want to talk biology, sure; I'm my parent's kid. And I'm proud of that. But I'm also proud to be Derek and Casey's son."

"Right." he said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "But that doesn't answer my question. Is there ever a time when you feel jealous of their son?"

Jayden shook his head, looking vaguely amused.

"Nope." he shrugged, clearly getting pleasure out of Mr.Evan's frustration. "I can't say there is, actually. They treat me and Jeff the same."

Mr.Evans was clearly annoyed by Jayden's refusal to give him anything good. He rubbed his temple for a moment, flipping through a few pages of his paperwork. His lips moved slightly as he read over a few things, and Jayden took the oppurtunity to glance over at Derek, who grinned at him, respecting his strong will.

After a few moments, Mr.Evans looked back up at Jayden, looking slightly more hopeful than he had a few moments before. Placing the stack of papers on the surface in front of him, he adjusted his glasses, and gave Jayden a stern look.

"If you aren't at all jealous of their son, why was it you ran away from the hospital a few years ago?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Jayden paled, and Derek tensed, knowing that this was going to reflect very badly upon them, just as the fistfight in California had done. Jayden shifted uncomfortably, and Mr.Evans continued. "I mean, you claimed you were scared that they wouldn't want you, anymore. Is that the way they make you feel, Jayden? Unwanted?"

Jayden squirmed in his spot, the strong front that he had possessed only moments before now entirely gone. Derek could see him fidgeting a little, as though he was scrambling for some sort of an answer; something that would make this seem okay. But clearly, he had nothing.

"I, well, you know... I just..."

"They didn't call on your birthday either, did they?" he asked, smirking. "Didn't they promise you they'd call? That was what you told Mr.Easton on the plane ride there, correct?"

"My wife was in hospital!" Derek yelled, standing up out of nowhere. He felt Casey tap on his arm gently, trying to subtly remind him of her little lecture earlier- that he had to control his anger. But right now, controlling his anger was the last thing from Derek's mind. "The second I could get to a phone, I called him. I had a hard enough time getting her to let me talk to him- but I called. Excuse me if I wanted to ensure my own wife would be okay. Jayden understands that! He does!"

"Mr.Venturi, take a seat." the judge said firmly, giving him a stern look. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't have anymore outbursts such as that one."

Derek stood there, his eyes narrowed, his chest heaving angrily, and Casey grabbed his sleeve, pulling him back down to her. She rubbed her hand across his back in a very desperate attempt to calm him down, but it was barely working. There was still anger coursing through every vein in his body, and he wanted to hit something, someone, anything. He needed an outlet, and both Mr.Evans and Natalie were looking like great candidates right about now. But he glanced up at Jayden, who looked scared to death of his own situation, and he knew he had to stay calm for him. Jayden was panicking, it was easy to see. It was clear that Mr.Evans could get back on the right track very quickly, and he knew how to attack someone so that they were forced into the answers he wanted to hear. He was good, and Derek could only hope that Cole could make just as good of a case, without terrifying Jayden like Mr.Evans was.

Turning back to Jayden, Mr.Evans cleared his throat.

"So tell me, Jayden." he said, raising an eyebow. "Is that true? Do they make you feel unwanted?"

"He's harassing him." Cole interjected, unable to watch someone who he was close to be attacked like this. "Jayden's made it quite clear that Mr. and Mrs.Venturi don't make him feel that way, and yet he sees fit to ask him these questions over and over again. All it's doing is stressing him out."

The judge contemplated this for a moment, before turning to Jayden, a curious expression on his face.

"Is this true, Mr.Walker?" he asked, wanting to ensure that this was true.

Jayden nodded, a terrified expression on his face. It was quite easy to see that he was overwhelmed by all of this, and perhaps the judge noticed that, for he nodded and shifted in his seat to sit up straight.

"I think we've heard enough to break for twenty minutes." he decided, glancing at Mr.Evans for confirmation. "Are you done questioning him?"

It was quite clear that he was in no way finished, but one glance at Jayden seemed to indicate that a break was necessary. His knuckles were white from clutching the seat so hard, and his face was pale with fear. Drawing in a sharp breath, Mr.Evans nodded, and grabbed his papers again, tucking them under his arm.

"Yes, Your Honour." he said formally, giving a polite nod. "I'm done... for now."

"Very well." the judge siad, nodding. "I expect you all to be back here in twenty minutes. At that time, Mr.Myers will be free to have his own question period."

With that, he slammed then gavel down, and a wave of relaxation seemed to wash over the entire room. He stood up, making his way towards the back entrance, and Jayden sat there, frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do. Mr.Evans gave him one more searching glance, before wandering off towards his client again.

With that, Jayden practically jumped up from his seat, and ran towards his family. Casey greeted him with a quick hug, holding him a bit tighter than she normally would've.

"You did great, sweetheart." she assured him as she let him go. She could feel him shaking, and he turned to Derek, as though unsure of what he would think of Jayden's performance.

Derek studied him carefully, before nodding in agreement, pulling Jayden into a one-armed hug.

"She's right, bud." he said, letting his eyes squeeze tightly shut. "You did awesome."

And Derek had to admit; for a twelve year old, Jayden was handling this with so much maturity and dignity, that Derek couldn't even express how proud he was of him.

* * *

**Wow so this was the longest chapter. The trial will take up either one or two more chapters, I haven't decided yet. Anyway, review please, and I'll update quicker this time!**


	21. Like Mother, Like Son?

**So yeah, to make up for my lack of updating within the past week or so, here's a new chapter for you guys. :) Hope you enjoy it.**

**By the way, check out the trailer for Always and Forever that is out now. Just search Youtube for 'Always and Forever- a Fanfiction Trailer" :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. -sigh-**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Like Mother, Like Son?**

"Court is now back in session."

The judge's words rang through the courtroom, echoing through Derek's ears painfully. The twenty minute break had seemed to go by so quickly. Cole had been discussing a few points with them, trying to keep his volume to a minimum so that the opposing side would not hear anything he was saying. His advice to Jayden was practically identical to the advice he'd given Derek. Don't bring up the stepsibling thing, unless absolutely necessary. Don't repeat yourself. Avoid any personal attacks towards Natalie. Derek thought that this was rather vague advice, but Cole was the professional here. What the hell did he know about law?

"Good luck." Casey said, kissing Jayden quickly on the forehead, and allowing him to stand up. He nodded, looking as though he was about to be sick, and he made his way back up to the stand, a place where he now associated with frustration and confusion. But he was slightly more relaxed when he remembered that it was Cole who was questioning him now, not Mr.Evans. He scuffed his shoes against the floor as he waited for Cole to regain some composure, and begin.

When he did, he gave Jayden one last reassuring look, as though silently telling him that everything was going to be okay; he wasn't going to interrogate him the way the opposing side had. Jayden already knew this of course. He trusted Cole.

"Alright, Jayden." he said, resting one foot on the top step of the stand. "I need you to answer these questions honestly, alright? Like Judge Cormack said earlier, we want to know your honest opinion, not what you think we want to hear. Can you do that for us?"

Jayden gulped, but nodded, his hair falling down around his eyes again. He didn't even bother to brush it away, he was that nervous.

"Alright, let's start." Cole sighed, glancing down at his papers. "So you've been living with Derek for four years now, correct?"

Relaxing a little under the simplicity of the question, Jayden nodded his head, confirming that this was true.

"Yeah." he said, his voice sounding confident for a change. "And he took care of me before that, too. My father would always be on business trips, since he had to work alot to support me by himself. Derek would look after me when my father went away. And even when my father was around, he'd usually be at our apartment. I've known Derek practically my whole life. He knows me better than anyone else."

"And Casey?" Cole asked, raising an eyebrow. "Describe your bond with her for me, please."

Jayden glanced down at Casey, the only mother he had ever known. He couldn't help but smile a tiny bit as he answered.

"We're the best of friends." he informed Cole, smiling. "We get along excellent. I knew from the beginning that we'd be really close. She's really fun to hang around with, but at the same time, she knows how to be a responsible parent."

Cole nodded, noting that Jayden's answers were so far working very well in their favour.

"You've already explained your bond with your brother-"

"Objection." Mr.Evans automatically said, shooting up out of his seat. Cole turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think it's fair to be referring to any Venturi as family, for the purposes of this trial. It works in favour of them, and that's not fair to my own client."

"Overruled." the judge said, shaking his head. Mr.Evans face fell, and he shot the judge a look of utmost confusion. "The courts overall decision would never be based upon the term one uses to describe either side. The final decision will be based solely upon what is best for the child's future."

Mr.Evans looked reluctant, but he sat back down again, glaring at Cole. Cole ignored this, and turned back to Jayden, sighing.

"Sorry for the interruption." he said, nodding politely towards Jayden. "Anyway, I'd like to revisit the topic of the fight you got into, if that's alright." he said, and he noticed Jayden tensed upon hearing this. This had been a touchy subject, the last time. But the reassuring look that Cole gave the boy caused him to relax a bit, and he reluctantly nodded his head.

"Alright." he said slowly. "What about it?"

"Have you ever gotten into any physical confrontations, before this one?" he asked, knowing full well that he hadn't.

Jayden shook his head, shrugging.

"Never." he said, before an enlightened look crossed his face. "Well, there was a few times at my old school-" he started, but Cole gave him a look that clearly told him not to continue.

It was too late, however, because Mr.Evans had heard the beginning of the sentence, and was eager to know more.

"I want him to finish that statement." he declared, fixing Jayden with a stern look. "He started it, he can definitely finish it."

"N-no really, I..." Jayden started, shaking his head. Any composure he had held only moments before had evaporated, and he was turning right back into a blubbering mess.

"Finish the statement, please, Jayden." Judge Cormack said, and Jayden sighed, clearly trying to ignore the way Derek had his face buried into his hands.

"I got beaten up a few times at my old school." he admitted, shrugging. "But it was bullying- I didn't start any of those. It doesn't count,does it?"

Everybody remained silent, and his eyes widened, in fear that he'd just said something that would work against his family.

"_Does it_?" he repeated, more harshly this time.

Derek raised his gaze from his hands, drawing in a deep breath.

"No, it doesn't." he spoke up, shaking his head. He turned to look at the judge, who looked as though he wanted to scold him for another outburst. "Your Honour, I know I'm not supposed to speak up out of turn, but I want to make it known that Jayden was bullied in his old school. He'd try to avoid violence, but the other kids pushed him around. That wasn't his fault, and I think you should take that into consideration. You could call up his old teachers and they'd tell you the same thing I just did. He was a victim."

The judge thought for a moment, before nodding his head slowly, acknowledging that Derek was right.

"Any physical confrontations that occured in Mr.Walker's old school will be addressed as a matter of bullying, not misguided judgement." he decided, nodding towards Cole. "Continue, Mr.Myers."

Cole relaxed, and nodded, turning back to Jayden.

"Can I safely say that you were never involved in any mutual fighting until you visited California?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Objection!" Mr.Evans cried for the second time, and Cole groaned, rolling his eyes. "One day with Ms.Turner couldn't have corrupted Jayden's thinking that heavily. If Jayden uses violence as a solution to his conflicts, it is the result of the way he's being brought up."

"Well, there's no violence in our home, so where he'd learn that, I don't know." Derek shot out, glaring at the man for suggesting such things. "We've never used violence with each other, or with our kids."

"Stop speaking out of turn, Mr.Venturi!" the judge reminded him, sounding annoyed. "You'll have your turn to speak later, if you'd wish. Right now, Mr.Myers is questioning Jayden."

"Derek, be quiet." Casey whispered in his ear, and he glared at her, yanking his hand from hers. Who was she to boss him around like that? She placed her hand gently on his elbow, but he shifted away from her slightly, folding his arms across his chest. Both Cole and Jayden caught sight of this and cringed, but neither could comment on it at the moment.

"You want me to shut up, I'll shut up." he whispered so only she could hear. She rolled her eyes, facing forwards again. That hadn't been what she meant, and they both knew that, but Derek was very on edge at the moment, and every little thing was getting to him.

"Do Derek and Casey ever get mad at you?" Cole asked, knowing that he had the advantage of knowing the answers before he even asked the question. This was a useful little tool that Mr.Evans did not possess.

Jayden shrugged, glancing down at the two adults who were sitting about a foot away from each other by now.

"Not unless I do something bad." he said truthfully. "I mean, parents get mad at kids for misbehaving, it's common fact. Even my grandmother got mad at me for fighting. So did they."

"So you're saying that they are good with controlling their anger?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "They've never gotten mad with you for no good reason?"

"Not really, no." Jayden said simply, and Natalie frowned.

"And your grandmother?" he asked, seeing Natalie purse her lips together angrily out of the corner of his eye. "How did she treat you?"

Jayden shifted in his seat, looking uncertain. Derek knew that Jayden wanted to be able to say that Natalie was an unfit gaurdian, that she was tempermental and moody. But Natalie, perhaps having foreseen this, had apparantly done her best to control her behaviour during Jayden's stay, leaving Jayden unable to say anything bad about her.

"She treated me fine." he said, and the older woman seemed to relax a bit. "She didn't really get mad, unless I misbehaved. She was nice to me, I guess. We didn't really talk much, I guess. I tried asking her about my mother a few times, but she wouldn't tell me anything. I didn't like that."

The judge glanced down at Natalie, looking slightly confused, and yet sympathetic towards the twelve year old.

"Why wouldn't you tell him anything about his mother?" he asked, confused. "Isn't it a child's right to know about his own parents?"

Natalie was suddenly put on the spot, and she glanced up to her lawyer for reassurance, but even Mr.Evans knew that this was a question that Natalie would have to answer all on her own. Derek smirked happily. He'd love to see her get out of this one without coming off as a bitch.

"Well, um... you see..." she started, struggling for words. "My... my daughter and I... we were extremely close." she said, and Derek could tell this was a lie, for Jayden had informed Cole that Logan Ryan's parents had spoken of how distant Natalie always was with her daughter. "And talking about her... especially around the twelve year anniversary of her death, it's very difficult for me."

"Oh really?" Cole asked, withdrawing another piece of paper from his pile. "Because I've got a statement from a Mrs.Tamara Ryan, which I confirmed, with permission. In this statement, Mrs.Ryan claims that she was best friends with Jenna Bailey when she was growing up, and that Jenna often told her that she wished she was closer to her mother."

"How does this matter, now?" Natalie cried, clearly upset by this. Derek was pleased to see that she was now the one making the random outbursts; she was the one who's motives were being questioned. "It was years ago, okay? If the kid wants to know about his mother... I'll tell him."

Jayden brightened, and Derek was hit with a wave of worry that he would suddenly want to go and live with his grandmother, just so that he could find out about his mother. Derek knew how badly Jayden wanted to learn about her, and who she was. But he was reassured when Jayden caught his eye, and shook his head quickly, signalling that he didn't want to go anwhere; this didn't change his opinion.

Cole sighed, and turned to face the judge, looking somewhat confident of their current situation.

"That's all the questions I've got for Mr.Walker, right now." he said, giving a tiny nod of the head. "I may want to question him again later, depending on what other issues are brought up throughout the trial."

The judge nodded, and motioned for Jayden to return to his seat, which he did quickly. He took a seat next to Casey, who placed an arm around him to comfort and relax him. The poor kid had been through hell and back today, she knew. They all looked up to the judge, who cleared his throat and straightened up as Cole returned to his seat.

"If that's all the questions that both sides have got for Mr.Walker, I think we can move onto questioning Natalie, and... well, one of you can represent your own family." he said, motioning to Derek and Casey. Casey nodded towards Derek, knowing he'd want to go. Derek was still ignoring her, but he turned to the judge and nodded.

"Alright." he said, pushing back his chair and standing up. He was just making his way towards the front, when the door to the courtroom swung open, and a young man, looking no older than twenty-five ran in, looking out of breath. The whole lot of them turned to look at him, and he blushed furiously. Derek squinted at the clip on the right pocket of the man's shirt, and saw that he was an intern for the courthouse. He held up a piece of paper, and the judge motioned for him to come forwards.

Trying to avoid everyone's gaze, he rushed forwards, his head ducked down, and he handed the slip of paper to Judge Cormack. As the judge read over the paper carefully, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion, Derek stole a glance at his family, who could only shrug, not having a clue what was going on. He glanced towards Natalie, who he was relieved to see looked equally as confused as they did. At least he knew that she hadn't planned something like this.

They all waited expectantly as the judge scribbled something down onto the slip of paper, and handed it back to the intern.

"Give this back to him, Normore." he said, placing his pen back down again. "Tell them I'm dismissing them until this is solved."

A steady buzz rang through the courtroom as they began to discuss what this could possibly be about. The judge silenced them with a slam of his gavel, and they all looked up expectantly, and nervously, wondering who this news would impact, and how.

"Court will be dismissed until a certain matter is cleared away." he said, scratching the back of his neck for a moment. "It appears that the culprit of last week's breakin has been arrested."

They all snapped into attention, clearly interested, and Derek took that moment to realize that he was still standing. He took this moment to take a seat again, but his eyes never left the judge. He barely noticed that his hand reached for Casey's. All of his anger towards her was suddenly gone as he remembered what had happened to her the week before. He was hit with a strong wave of thanks that she had been okay.

"And?" Natalie asked, and Derek noticed then that she looked almost... scared, or worried. He had almost expected this, due to his suspicions of her involvement, but it was almost more than that. She looked as though she was about to be sick.

The judge fixed her with a very stern look, almost accusatory.

"The culprit was a twenty-two year old man by the name of Devon Bailey." the judge said pointedly, and a low murmer of gossip emerged betweeen the room's occupants. "Someone who claims to be your son."

Cole turned to Derek, a triumphant smirk on his face, and Derek forced a tiny smile out, trying not to appear too happy about this. He glanced back at Casey, who had an eyebrow raised with interest. But as he glanced down at Jayden, he saw that the young boy looked positively terrified, and he knew why. His own uncle had inflicted some sort of pain upon his family. Of course, Jayden didn't know his uncle very well, having only met him once or twice as an infant, but Derek supposed that the thought was still upsetting to him.

"We're being forced to dismiss until it is confirmed that you had absolutely no part in this break-in, and that-"

"This is absolutely insulting!" Natalie cried, shooting up out of her seat. "I am a well respected member of my own community, and have been for years now. An accusation such as this-"

"It's standard procedure, Ms.Turner." the judge assured her, motioning for her to return to her seat, which she did. "If you had no role in this, then you have nothing to worry about. But due to the more than suspicious circumstances of this break-in, we need to ensure there was no involvement on your behalf."

Natalie opened her mouth to argue again, but quickly shut it again, nodding. Derek knew that she couldn't argue. If she argued, it'd be awfully suspicous, seeing as the judge had claimed she shouldn't be worried, as long as she hadn't had a part on it.

"Court is dismissed." Judge Cormack said, slamming his gavel down again. "Someone from my office will call you both when we can proceed with the case. Thank you."

With that, he stood up and exited through the rear end of the courtroom, and Derek's first instinct was to glance up at Cole, shock written clearly across his face. Before he had a chance to answer, however, Natalie had stood up and brushed past everyone, heading towards the exit.

Shooting Derek a meaningful look, Cole motioned for the rest of them to follow. Derek stood up, dropping Casey's hand, and they all hurried out behind Cole, to see that there was a bit of a commotion in the front lobby.

"I'm telling you, this is pointless." Natalie was yelling at a couple of police officers, who were clearly annoyed with her attitude. "I wanted tis trial done and over with today, and now I'm being forced to stay here even longer. I'm paying for this, you know. Hotel costs and whatnot."

"Like you can't afford it." Derek shot out, rolling his eyes at her. She shot him and resentful glare, and Derek spared the man in front of him a look. He remembered that this guy was only twenty-two, but Derek couldn't help but think that he only looked to be nineteen or twenty. His hair was brown and shaggy, and came down around his green eyes. He had on a black jean jacket, lined with grey, and his plants were a black jean material. It was a mystery to Derek how someone like this was related to Natalie. He looked to be one of those young men who went out to bars and clubs every Friday night. In fact, to Derek, he still looked like a cowardly teenager. There was fear in eyes as the police restrained him.

"Y-You made a mistake." he stammered nervously. "I n-never... I don't even know them..."

"You admitted to it, when we arrested you." one of the police officers said, gripping him just above the elbow. "There's no sense in denying it."

"But I-"

"There was a gun found in your car, Mr.Bailey." he said, and Casey, Derek, and Natalie all paled. "I'd hate to know what you would've done to this poor woman if she hadn't of fled the second she heard you come in."

"I... I'd never..."

Derek's vision flashed red then. If this guy had done anything whatsoever to Casey, he wouldn't have been standing there. He was angry enough that he'd indirectly caused her harm. But if he had actually injured her directly, Derek would've hunted him down and personally made him pay for every ounce of pain he'd caused her.

"I'd appreciate it if you let my son go." Natalie said, sounding as though she didn't really care. "If he says he didn't do it, then he didn't do it."

"He already admitted to it, M'am." one of the officers said, and Derek caught sight of the disgusted and disappointed look that Natalie shot her son. Derek eyed the man curiously, wondering what the hell this guy had wanted with his family. He had nothing of great value to him. He was almost certain that Natalie had put him up to it, but since he had no real proof, he wanted a chance to ask the man on his own.

Glancing up at the authority figures surrounding Devon Bailey, Derek squinted, hoping that they would cooperate with him.

"Can I have a moment with him?" he asked, and reluctance flickered across Natalie's, and the officer's, faces. "Please. I just want to talk to him for a second."

"Absolutely not." Natalie said, shaking her head. She turned to the police officers, worried. "He can't, right?"

The officer gave her a stern look, as though he didn't want to listen to her whining, before turning back to Derek, hesitance written all over his face.

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea..." he said slowly, uncertain. "I mean, you-"

"I just want to talk to him." Derek said, and the officers studied him for a minute, before the lead one shrugged, and nodded.

"Alrght." he said, and Devon's eyes filled with fear at the thought of being left alone with a man who was much stronger, and quite a few years older than himself. They released his arms, and motioned for a very reluctant Natalie to follow them.

"We'll be outside these doors." one of them said to Devon, who was trembling fearfully. "Don't bother to try and run. We've got cameras in every room, anyway."

Devon gulped, whatever hope that had been left on his face fading away instantly. He fidgeted slightly, and Natalie cast him one more disappointed look, before following the police officers out of the room.

The second the door slammed, Derek rounded on Devon, anger flickering through his eyes immensely. Devon stumbled backwards into the nearest wall, fear dominating his features.

"What the _hell_ is your issue?" Derek asked, trying to refrain from hauling off and punching this guy. There were cameras in the room, even if he knew there was no audio, and besides that, using violence after he had told the judge that he did not promote violence would just make him see like a liar, which definitely wouldn't work in their favour.

"I... I... really, I didn't mean to-"

"Do you even know how much fucking pain you caused her... me... us?" he spat out, and Casey's hand slipped gently into his. He ensured that she was safely behind him, out of Devon's reach, and he saw Casey wrap an arm around Jayden, pulling him against her to protect him from any harm that his uncle may bring.

"I... I never touched that chick." he stammered out, flattening against the wall.

Derek felt anger surge through him, and he had to squeeze Casey's hand to stop himself from tackling the other man into the ground.

"That _chick_ has a name, and it's Casey." he growled angrily, shaking with hatred. "You people... you all piss me off. Seriously, was your sister the only decent one out of your whole family?"

Devon winced, and he seemed to regain some of his strength, for the look he fixed Derek with was one of defense and anger.

"Don't offend my family."

Derek took another step towards him, his eyes daring the man to defy him.

"Well then I suggest you don't do anything else to hurt mine." he threatened, smirking coldly. "Because I would do anything, and I mean absolutely _anything_, to protect them. And let there be no misunderstandings, that includes facing charges of assult." he said, his voice wavering with hatred and anger. "Now get out of my sight. And if you lay _one _finger on any of them again, or come within fifty feet of my home, I'll have your ass in jail, if I don't kill you first."

With that, he gripped Casey's hand tighter, and gave Devon one more disgusted look.

"Come on, guys." he said, his eyes narrowed, and his chest heaving. "We're going home. We don't need to deal with this."

Before he could leave, Devon had reached out and gripped Jayden's shoulder, pulling him away from Casey, and closer to him. Derek saw the boy tense with fear, and he raised his gaze to look up at his uncle, fearful. Derek wasn't quite sure what he expected; maybe for Devon to threaten Jayden, or something of the sorts. But all he did was admire him for a moment, a tiny smile on his lips.

"You look so much like your mother." be noted, his eyes scanning every inch of Jayden's face. He gripped his chin, tilting his head up to look him in the eye. He winced. "Her eyes, you've got her eyes. You've got your father's hair and nose... but the rest of it... it's not hard to tell you're Jen's son."

Derek wasn't quite sure what to do. Yes, he absolutely despised this man, and yes, he was a bit fearful for Jayden's safety, but he got the feeling that Devon wouldn't harm Jayden. He was looking at him with such a longing, that Derek almost suspected that he cared for the kid, even if he barely knew him. He reached for the back of Jayden's shirt, trying to haul him backwards, but Devon's hold on him prevented it.

"My sister would be really proud of you, Jayden." he said, not an ounce of bitterness in his voice. "She'd love the kid you've become."

Jayden squinted at his uncle, still frozen to the spot. Slowly, he nodded, looking slightly nervous.

"Thanks." he murmered, sounding as though he was actually surprised by the man's words. Slowly, Devon released Jayden, and Derek placed his hand on the kid's shoulder, leading him out of the room. Casey and Jayden went through the door first, and Derek turned around at the last second, casting one more confused look towards Devon. It was returned with an ashamed look as the man turned his head away, looking completely embarassed. Derek ran his hand along the edge of the doorframe slowly, before letting the door close behind him, and making his way towards the front doors of the courthouse with the other two. They met up with Cole at the front door, and he agreed to meet up with them after to discuss this new development.

But the only thing that was running through Derek's mind was that Devon Bailey wasn't the bad guy here. Devon missed his sister, that much was obvious to Derek. He knew that the break-in was Natalie's doing. She had used her manipulative ways and quirks to force her son into committing the crime for her, since it was too risky to do it herself. Derek kept glancing in the rearview mirror on the way home, watching Jayden intently. He couldn't imagine forcing one of his kids to carry out a robbery for him.

And if that was the type of parenting that Natalie promoted, he'd hate to see what would happen to Jayden if he were to be placed in her care.

* * *

**So there's a nice little twist for you. And yes, what he wanted when he broke in will be explained in the next chapter, so I won't just leave you hanging on that one. Anyway, review, and I'll post quicker. And remember to check out the trailer for AAF.**


	22. An Unfamiliar Feeling

**To answer a few of your questions from last time- this story isn't exactly coming to a close yet. It's well over halfway, but there's still bumps and twists coming up :) If you've read my previous stories, you know I love those, lol. And the second matter, no, Devon is not Jen's stepbrother, he is her biological brother. I did fool around with the idea of making him her stepbrother, and having him in love with her, but I changed my mind, because there's alot of drama already in/ coming up, in this story.**

**Anyway, that's enough questions, but if you have anymore, feel free to leave it in a review, or PM me :) I'll always answer. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing :( **

**Chapter Twenty-Two: An Unfamiliar Feeling**

"Derek?"

Derek pressed the palms of his hands against his face, his eyes squeezed tightly shut in frustration. He was lying flat on his back on his and Casey's bed, trying to sort out some thoughts in his head. But Casey's persistant voice from the other side of the door was preventing that. She knocked again, and he groaned, rolling over onto his side, and stumbling towards the door in a half-drunken stupor. He yanked the door open to see Casey standing there, looking worried. She took a step towards him, sliding her arms around his neck and leaning back against the door to shut it. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her closer.

"Took you long enough to open the door." she said, smiling. "I've been standing out here for like, five minutes."

Derek grinned at her, but did not speak. He merely shrugged, not really having any form of an excuse for not answering her calls. She raised an eyebrow, studying his appearance carefully. She glanced up into his half-unfocused eyes, and leaned a little closer, smelling the alcohol that was coming off of his breath.

She leaned back a little, a frown on her face.

"Derek, were you drinking again?" she asked, not sounding at all pleased with him.

He blushed a little but nodded. He had begun drinking the second the kids were gone to bed a few hours before. Casey had been downstairs talking to Cole, and he'd shut himself up in their room with a case of beer, not wanting to focus on the events that he knew were going to follow. He wanted to forget about all that he'd been through that day, and just allow himself to be free.

"It wasn't as much as las' time, Case." he said, and he was telling the truth, even if his words were still slightly slurred. "I'm not an idiot, m'kay?"

"M'kay?" Casey repeated, arching an eyebrow. She sighed, biting her lip gently. "Derek, it was cute the first time, I'll admit. But it's starting to worry me that this is what you do to get rid of stress. You can't do this everytime you get stressed out."

Derek's eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to piece together what she meant. He took a step away from her, his hands clasping hers tightly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "It's not a big deal, is it, Case?"

"Yeah, Derek." she said, giving him a searching look, as though surrpised by his stupidity. "It is a big deal. We need to act responsible; especially right now. What if we get called back to that courthouse in the morning, huh? Are you going to go in hung over?"

"Gonna have to." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Ain't no big deal, baby. They won't know the dif'rence."

"Trust me, Derek. They'll know the difference." she said, and he laughed, turning away from her.

"Be quiet, Casey." he instructed her, stumbling towards the window. He leaned against it, staring down at the silent street below. "You're really bringing down my mood."

"Bringing down your... Derek, talk to me here, please." she said, coming up next to him, and frowning. "Why don't you ever tell me what's on your mind, anymore?"

"Maybe 'cause it's none of your business." he mumbled, too far gone to even realize what he was saying to her. "So how 'bout you stay out of it, huh?"

Casey winced, clearly offended by his words.

"Derek, I... we're... I'm your wife. You're supposed to be able to talk to me about these things." she said, trying to keep his attention focused on their conversation, but it was clear that he wasn't paying complete attention to what she was saying. "Would you look at me?"

He turned to face her, and his eyes narrowed at her constant demands for him to talk to her, or look at him. He rolled his eyes, letting out a disgusted sigh.

"Leave me alone, Case."

Casey stared at him for a moment, blinking in shock, clearly offended by his words. After a moment, she picked up a sweater that was lying near the edge of the bed, and tossed it at his head. He cringed, catching it with both hands. He sent her a confused glare, unsure of what exactly he was doing wrong. It was quite clear that his anger and frustration from a few moments before was entirely gone, being replaced by his usual giddiness. She hated that about Derek, when he was drunk; he could go from serious, to bitchy, to downright foolish in ten seconds flat.

"You missed." he said brightly, wagging the pillow at her almost mockingly.

Her eyes widened with anger, and she let out a frustrated groan, tossing her hands up into the air.

"You're just so... ugh!" she cried, before grabbing her pillow off of the bed, and storming towards the door angrily.

"Wassa matter, baby?" he called after her, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Where you goin'?"

Their bedroom door slamming shut behind her was the only answer. He stared after her, before shrugging, and falling face first onto the bed, where he fell into a drunken sleep some minutes later.

- - - -

"Get ready, stupid."

These were the first words that met Derek's ears when he stumbled into the kitchen at nine o'clock the next morning. Jayden had come upstairs twenty minutes before to wake him up, claiming that Casey needed him downstairs for something. He had wondered, at first, why she wasn't in bed with him, but then he remembered (very vaguely) how she had stormed out on him the night before. Jayden had informed Derek that they had sorted away the previous day's problem fairly quickly, and that they'd be ready to resume the trial within the next few hours. They had been instructed to be ready for trial by one o'clock, sharp.

They had also been told that there was a fair chance the trial would be wrapped up today. By the end of the day, Jayden would either be going home with Casey and Derek, or going to California with his grandmother.

He had gotten up reluctantly, and only after Jayden had smacked him in the head with a pillow about five times. He wasn't sure which was worse; the headache he already had, the headache the continuation of the trial was sure to bring him, or the headache that would definitely get once Casey got around to lecturing him about his behaviour.

Nonetheless, he caught the comb that Casey had slapped violently against his chest. Stumbling backwards, his eyes widened, and he stared at his wife in confusion as she took up a helping of bacon and eggs. She shoved that towards him as well, and then took some up for herself, and for Jayden. Jeff was already seated at the table, enjoying a bowl of dry Cheerios. He was examining them between his thumb and his forefinger, clearly interested, but Derek only had eyes for Casey.

"What's your problem?" he asked genuinely, not trying to sound harsh, but knowing he probably did anyway.

Casey handed a plate of food to Jayden, who took his time in getting himself a glass from the cupboard, eyeing the other two from the corner of his eye. Derek knew he hated it when they fought.

Casey apparantly noticed this too, for she merely shook her head, grabbing a fork from the drawer.

"We're talking later." was all she said, before whipping around and making her way to the table. Derek stared after her, worried, and he glanced at Jayden, who was standing there, his hand frozen halfway to the cupboard. He looked from Casey to Derek, looking away only when Derek caught his eye. He grabbed his glass, and hurried towards the table. Derek blinked a couple of times, before following right after him, not in the mood to eat.

He spent the rest of the meal trying to avoid Casey's gaze.

- - - - - -

"Mr.Bailey was searching for something that he believed his would-be brother in-law had left to you." one of the officers on the case explained to Derek. "He knew that Mr.Walker had left you a few belongings, and he thought that there might have been some sort of instruction about what would happen to Jayden after the four year temporary custody. He thought that if he got ahold of that, he could destroy it, and ensure that his mother had a fair chance."

"But why would he even think that Jeff would've left something like that?" Derek asked, confused. "I mean, I never saw anything like it. If I had, would I really have gone through all of this court stuff?"

Officer Janes shrugged, shaking his head.

"Jeffrey Walker was a smart guy." he explained, and Derek knew that this was true. His best friend would've given even Casey a run for her money. "Devon claims he couldn't see his sister's fiancé leaving something as important as his son's future unplanned."

"Yeah well, I don't think Jeff exactly planned on Natalie butting into things." he said bitterly, anger welling up in him. "He probably assumed that the custody would run out, and I'd adopt Jayden. Simple, huh? That's sort of what I thought would happen, too. But no, Little Miss Mozart had to make things complicated, and-"

"Calm yourself, Mr.Venturi." he said, before returning his gaze in through the glass window, where Devon's questioning was being wrapped up. The room was tiny, with a small table that held a chair on either end. Devon was sitting in one of them. He was slouched down, his forehead pressed against the palm of his hand. If he hadn't caused what he had to Casey, Derek almost would've felt bad for him. His hair was matted and messy and his eyes were baggy and confused. It was quite clear he'd been through alot since the Venturis had left the courthouse last.

"One more time." the man on the other end of the table said to him. Derek leaned his elbows down against the surface next to the window, his eyes darting up towards the device that was allowing them to hear all of this from outside the room. "I just need you to restate everything you've told me." he said, laying down his paper. "You did, indeed, break into the Venturi household on the date in question?"

Devon did not stir at all. He continued to run his fingers along the bottom of his sweatshirt, not at all interested in what was going on.

"Yes, sir." Devon admitted, his eyes fixed on the table, looking completely out of focus and lost.

"You had every intention of finding and destroying something belonging to Mr.Venturi?" he asked, scribbling something down on the pad of paper in front of him. Devon nodded, and the man frowned. "A vocal confession, please. For the recording."

Devon rolled his eyes, looking fed up with the man, and he nodded, while speaking.

"Yeah, I did." he said, and Derek sighed. He wasn't even trying to deny it. He guessed that there was no use in denying such an obvious involvement to a crime.

"You did this with the full understanding that you could be prosecuted for your crimes, including breaking and entry, attempted robbery, possession of an unregistered weapon, and interfering with the justice of a trial?"

Devon winced, but nodded, gulping slowly at his long list of crimes. Derek knew then that this guy was going to go to jail, at least for a little while, and he almost felt bad. He had a feeling that this had not been Devon's fault at all, and that Devon was sucking it up and lying straight to this man's face. He hadn't wanted to do any of this, that much was clear.

"That's right." was all he said. "I knew that."

"And would you have injured Casey Venturi, had she gotten in your way?" he asked, and Derek's grip on the ledge beneath his hands tightened fearfully.

Devon paused, and his eyes briefly darted up, seeing Derek there for the first time since he'd arrived. He bit his lower lip, looking a bit afraid to answer that question. Derek watched him intensely, awaiting a response, and finally, Devon's eyes flickered back to the officer in front of him, and he shrugged.

"I really don't know what I would've done." he admitted, and Derek was somewhat relieved to see that he at least sounded honest. "I've never hurt anyone before, nor have I done a crime, really. If she had gotten in my way... I dunno, I might've hurt her. I can't say that for sure."

Derek wasn't exactly satisfied with this answer, but he was relieved to hear that Devon had possessed definite reservations about a violent confrontation. The officer paid this question no more attention than the rest as he rushed to finish.

"And lastly; did you act alone?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Was anyone else involved in the initial plotting, or the actual crime itself? Did anyone else know of your plan? Did you inform anyone afterwards of what you had done?"

Devon's eyes darkened, and he raised his gaze slowly, fixing it on the wall steadily. He swallowed bravely, and Derek watched as he slowly shook his head.

"No, sir." he said, and Derek instantly recognized this as a lie. "I acted alone."

And for one, brief moment, both men's eyes flickered up into a connection at the same time. Derek stared past the curious green eyes, searching for truth; and he found it. Natalie had been behind this, he just knew it. The young man's eyes were filled with a regret that Derek almost pitied. Natalie had such total control over people; apparantly even her own son. And now, someone else was facing the consequences, whereas Natalie would get off free as a bird. Derek wanted so badly to argue with the officers, to tell them that Natalie had played a major role in this crime.

But he knew he'd be wasting his, and everyone else's, time. He had no proof, and he'd never find any himself, at this point. He'd just have to accept the truth, and allow himself to face the rest of this trial with as high of hopes as he could summon up.

- - - -

Derek sauntered out into the main lobby of the courthouse, his eyes searching for Casey. The room was made up of dark mahogany walls, with older designs etched into the wood. The floor was a carpet, glowing with a deep shade of scarlet. It was a more formal room, and somehow Derek knew that he'd find Casey there.

Sure enough, the only other occupant of the room was his wife, standing back onto him as she allowed her eyes to scan a few photographs on the wall. Derek wasn't quite sure who the many men in the paintings and portraits were, nor did he care.

He came up next to Casey, his hands still stuffed into his pockets aimlessly. He wanted to put an arm around her, but he didn't want to scare her; and she was still mad at him. She had barely spoken two words to him since breakfast that morning. He didn't want to have their 'talk', but he knew that he had to. Casey wanted to discuss feelings, and usually, there would be no peace in the 'Land of Casey' until such a conversation had taken place.

Sighing, he settled for placing a hand gently on her lower back, and staring up at one of the portraits with her. She gave a startled little jump, and turned to see who was touching her. Upon seeing it was only Derek, she relaxed a little, but shifted away, folding her arms pointedly across her chest. Derek's heart clenched at her actions, but he tried not to let her get to him.

"Devon's being sentenced." he said hesitantly, sighing. "I don't think he'll get very long, but..."

"Mhm." was all Casey said, and Derek winced, sensing her negativity.

"Come on, Casey, I didn't mean to make you angry." he assured her, brushing her hair over her shoulder and attempting to smile at her. He was so stressed that he couldn't even manage it. "The trial starts up again really soon, and I'm nervous enough as it is. I don't want to go in there with you mad at me."

Casey glanced over at him, studying him carefuly for a moment.

"I'm not exactly mad, Derek." she admitted, sighing. "I just feel like... I don't know... we haven't been as close, lately." she said, and his face paled with fear. "I feel like we've been sort of distant from each other since this whole thing started. You've been keeping to yourself and keeping things inside. And I'm trying my best to be the best wife I can be to you, and help you through this like you've helped me, but you won't let me. You keep shoving me away, and-"

He pulled her to him in a quick, one-armed hug, his eyes squeezing shut automatically.

"I didn't mean to." he whispered against her hair, not letting her go. He inhaled the scent of her shampoo, letting it wash over him with ease. "I swear, Case. The last thing I'd want is to make you feel like you aren't making me happy, or something. You are, okay?

Casey sniffed a little, looking away.

"You aren't making me feel like it." she admitted, sounding genuinely hurt. "I feel like I'm just in your way."

Derek's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, and he frowned.

"What the hell would make you think that?" he asked, wondering where she was getting these sorts of things from. "I never said anything like... oh." he finished, vaguely remembering how he had yelled at her the night before. He'd told her to be quiet, that she was only bringing down his mood. He'd told her it was none of her business.

"Casey, I was... I was drunk." he laughed, amused. Her lips remained set in a frown, clearly not finding it so amusing. He sighed impatiently. "You know I never mean anything I say when I drink."

"Mhm, or do, right?" she bit out coldly, her eyes turning to ice immediately. "Well, that's your excuse, anyway."

Derek's heart turned cold, and he took a step away from her, offended. She knew how to stick up for herself, he'd give her that. But to take something that had happened so long ago- to take the one thing that he regretted more than anything, and poke fun at it, that was harsh.

"That's really low, Casey." he said, shaking his head at her. "I can't even believe you'd say that to me."

"I can say whatever the hell I want to say, Derek." she spat out, glaring at him. "You don't control me. Besides, one of us has got to be able to speak our mind, since your emotions are a mystery to me these days. But why would I get to know anything about you, right? We're only married."

"Casey-"

"Mr. and Mrs.Venturi?" came a voice to their right, and Derek glanced over to see the same intern from the day before watching them with apprehension, clearly embarassed to be breaking up a couple's fight. Derek was sure he looked very pissed off, for the young man looked oddly frightened.

"You're needed in court." he said quickly, blushing. "The trial is beginning."

"Can't it wait a second?" Derek asked, motioning towards his wife. "I'm sort of having a-"

"Everyone else is already in there." he said quickly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, sir."

With that, he hurried away, and Casey gave Derek one more disgusted look, before turning to follow him. Derek panicked, before reaching out and grabbing ahold of her wrist. She turned to look at him, but did not pull her hand away from his.

"Let me go." she demanded, narrowing her eyes. "We've got to go to the trial."

"Tell me you aren't mad at me." he begged of her, unable to keep the fear from his eyes. "Tell me we're fine."

"We're fine." she said, monotone.

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her.

"Okay, and now say it like you mean it." he said, sounding impatient.

She cocked her head, giving him a cold smile.

"I don't tell lies." she said, and he tightened his grip on her wrist, pulling her closer. The smile wiped off of her face immediately as she was pressed against his chest, her eyes meeting his in some sort of connection. He searched her eyes desperately, allowing all of his remorse to shine through, so she could see he really was sorry for disappointing her.

"We can't be fighting like this." he reminded her, shaking his head. "Our family is going through hell and back right now, Casey. Our boys are worried sick, the rest of our family probably is too, Jayden might be leaving... we can't worry them, or ourselves, with senseless fighting that won't mean a thing later."

She looked like she wanted to make another snappy retort and then leave him standing there. In fact, she still looked like she wanted to slap him across the face for pissing her off this much; but she never. Instead, she took a moment to let his words sink in, and allow herself to see the truth in them. Because deep down, she knew he was right. She knew that their fighting was going to affect their family alot more than they wanted it to, and she knew that, despite how she was feeling, she had to push it aside, at least until after the trial was over and some of the stress relieved.

So slowly, she nodded, and laced her fingers through his, closing her eyes.

"Okay." she said, letting out a patient breath. "We're fine. I don't want to worry anyone. But this doesn't change how I feel, alright? I'm still sort of mad at you, but I'm willing to drop it. I'm not going to make a big ordeal out of it. We can't afford that, right now."

Derek was not totally satisfied with this answer, but nonetheless, they had to go, and she _was_ willing to drop it.

So he nodded, pulling her into a quick kiss, just to remind her that he was sorry. His lips met with hers, and he felt his stomach drop at an unfamiliar feeling, one had had never felt when kissing Casey; bitterness. It had never been there before. He tried to shove those thoughts from his mind because, through the bitterness, he could still feel her love, and her passion.

She broke apart from him quickly, and he knew by the look in her eyes that she had felt it too, and was trying her best not to think anything of it.

"Come on." she said, offering him the best smile she could muster up. "We've got a trial to win."

* * *

**Review, and I'll update quicker. Oh, and the next chapter should be the court's final decision , if that motivates you anymore, lol . It was supposed to be this chapter but it would've been too long. Anyways, review, my friends. :) :) They make me happy. **


	23. The Walls Around Us

**Voila, le chapter. It's freakishly long, and I'm sorry for those of you who don't like that, but it was either that, or have like, the world's shortest chapter for the decision, and make you wait till like, Saturday or Sunday, lol. And since I promised the chapter with the court's decision, I would've felt bad. So here we have it, folks. Enjoy. That's really all I have to say.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, nope. **

**Chapter Twenty-Three: The Walls Around Us**

Court had been in session for twenty minutes now, and Derek already felt like going home and going back to sleep. The judge was still rambling on about how Devon Bailey had been found guilty, and how- since there was no involvement of Natalie Turner, legal decisions regarding Jayden's custody could be made today. Jayden was sitting up straight, which was strange for him; Casey was always telling him not to slouch, and Derek noticed that Casey had almost purposely put some distance between the two of them, though they were still sitting next to each other. He forced himself to shake it off; he couldn't afford to get distracted- not today. Today could very well be one of the most important days of his and Casey's life.

"If there are no further questions regarding yesterday's discovery, and if neither side has anymore questions for Jayden Walker, then we can move onto the questioning of each gaurdian, I suppose."

He paused, glancing at Derek.

"Mr.Venturi, would you like to represent your family?" he asked, and Derek glanced at Casey, who nodded briefly at him.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up, making his way towards the stand at the front of the room. He took a seat, wondering just how Jayden had managed to sit through this yesterday. Having everyone's eyes on you, and knowing that anything you said could make or break the decision... it was unbearably nerve-wracking.

"I'm going to ask Mr.Evans to begin." was all the judge said, before leaning back and allowing Natalie's lawyer to take control of the room. Derek watched as the man gathered whatever papers he had in front of him, and stood up, making his way closer to Derek.

He laid his papers back down on the nearest surface, ensuring he had all of them there, before turning back to his opponent, his mouth set in a straight line.

"Mr.Venturi," he began, taking a deep breath. "Can I ask you, once more, to tell us why you and your wife want full custody of Jayden Walker?"

Derek felt himself relax a litte; it was easier to be calm when the first question you got was one you had already answered many times before. He felt himself grow a new sort of confidence, and he took a deep breath.

"I've told you." he began, shrugging. "Jayden's family. He always has been, and we're not letting to let that go. We love him as our son, and that'll never change."

Mr.Evans looked unmoved by this statement, and merely nodded before moving onto his next question.

"Did you ever have any reluctance about taking hold of Jayden's future?" he asked, studying Derek carefully. "I mean, from what I've gathered from a few sources, you were quite the questionable character not too long before you met Jayden and Jeff. I've managed to contact a few people who knew you in high school and university. You've been described as someone who tends to procrastinate, and make split second decisions. You have been known to act instinctively, and make stupid decisions-"

"Which stupid decisions?" he asked, half offended, and half wondering just what mistakes Mr.Evans had found out. Another smaller part of him was wondering who the hell had talked about him to the lawyer, but he figured that it could've been anyone from his high school, really. Hell, it could've been someone from university. He didn't know, nor did he really care. The main point was that he knew.

"Well, let's see." Mr.Evans began, picking up a sheet off of the surface before him. He cleared his throat, before he began to recite what was written on the page. "According to a few sources, you were famous for throwing questionable parties-"

Derek felt anger well up inside of him, and he rolled his eyes in frustration.

"I was what, twenty?" he said, disbelieving. "What twenty year old didn't throw a couple of... er- questionable parties?" he asked, remembering the few times that the police had come along to clear out the place, after complaints of noise and disturbances from some of his drunken guests. "I haven't done anything like that since I took Jayden in."

Mr.Evans almost looked disappointed at this, but he sighed, and moved on.

"Another matter I'd like to address is the car accident you got into a few years ago, when Jayden was in the car with you."

Derek hesitated, unsure of how Mr.Evans could spin this one into his hands, but he shrugged, and sat back, waiting for the unfair questions and accusations he was sure were about to be thrown at him.

Upon seeing that Derek was waiting, the lawyer continued.

"For starters, the reports show that you were driving, and that you had Jayden, who was eight years old at the time, in the car with you." he began, and Derek nodded. "Do you know the minimum age for a child to be allowed to be seated in the passenger's seat of any vehicle, Mr.Venturi?" he asked, raising an eyebrow smugly. "The official age is twelve."

Derek felt his heart drop, and he immediately wondered how, after almost three and a half years, he had not remembered something like this. It had never occured to him that Jayden shouldn't have been seated in the front of the car in the first place. He glanced up at the judge, who was giving him an almost disapproving stare. He instantly realized that he was already walking through dangerous waters, and he gulped nervously.

"Were you aware of this law, Mr.Venturi?" the lawyer asked again, looking interested.

Derek nodded slowly, avoiding meeting anyone's gaze.

"Yeah, I guess I am." he admitted, frowning, and trying to make the best out of a bad situation. "I mean, my little sister always had to ride in the back when we were little. I guess I had forgotten... or something."

"Mhm, well we all learn from our mistakes, if we survive them." the lawyer said disapprovingly. "Some mistakes, however, we can't afford. And the safety of someone you claim to love as your son should never be jeprodized."

Derek glanced downwards, a steady blush rising in his cheeks. He would give him that one; that really had been a stupid mistake, on his behalf. He never should've allowed Jayden into the front seat to begin with. He looked up to see Mr.Evans speaking again.

"Such behaviour does not reflect well upon your parenting skills." he was saying, shaking his head. "And for another matter, why were you driving over the highway at midnight?" he asked, sounding as though he already knew the answer to this. Derek was sure that he had managed to wrangle the truth out of someone, if he hadn't accessed the accident report by now.

"I... it was important." he said slowly, biting his lower lip. Neither Judge Cormack or Mr.Evans looked very impressed by this, and he knew he had to answer the question honestly. Giving a sigh, he sat up a little straighter.

"I was trying to get back to London." he said, giving Casey a quick glance, remembering how badly he had wanted to get back to her that night. He saw that she was giving him the smallest hint of a smile, meant to reassure him that everything was okay, and he felt some of his confidence return. "I needed to get back to Casey, who uh, as you know, is now my wife."

"What was so important that you had to put a child's life at risk by crossing the highway at midnight?" he asked impatiently, frowning. "Couldn't it have waited until morning?"

Derek considered lying, and saying that he couldn't have waited until the next day to complete his task, but one warning look from Cole was telling him to tell the absolute truth. He figured that he could, in a way, spin this to his advantage, and he prepared himself to speak in his own defence.

"I had to get back to her to apologize for something I'd done." he said, his eyes locking with Casey's in some sort of a personal connection. He tried to figure out how she felt about this retelling of the memory, but strangely enough, he couldn't do it. He winced a little, unsure of why he suddenly couldn't read her as well as he usually did.

Shoving it from his mind, he continued.

"I'd... I'd left her in London." he said, biting his lip for a moment. "We were, uh, together, and I sort of left her the morning after." he said, finding this conversation extremely akward. He shouldn't have to retell something that should have stayed strictly between him and Casey. "That was a month before the accident. I just... I really needed to go back and apologize and make things right. I guess it could've waited until the next morning, but I just... I really needed to get back to her. I guess I just wasn't... wasn't..."

"-thinking?" the lawyer offered, smirking. "I thought so. Just like you weren't thinking when you allowed Jayden to get into the frontseat of the car that night. Just like you weren't thinking when you had some pointless one-night stand? Or how you single-handedly destroyed your own engagement when you were what, twenty?"

"How did you know about that?" Derek snapped, leaning forwards angrily. "And don't you dare refer to anything regarding Casey as a 'one-night stand'. I'm not that sort of guy, when it comes to her, at least. I never meant to hurt her, and... how the hell does this even apply to Jayden?"

Casey shook her head at him, signalling that he needed to calm down. He realized then that he'd both yelled, and cursed- the two things which Casey and Cole had warned him not to do. He curled his hands into fists to try and manage the anger that was pulsing rapidly through his veins at the moment. He drew in a couple of deep breaths, trying not to let Mr.Evans words get to him.

"It applies directly to Jayden." Mr.Evans shrugged. "Reckless decisions that affect other people's emotions, such as having one-night stands, do not reflect well upon parenting skills, Mr.Venturi. Clearly, you act instinctively, with no regard for anyone else's feelings for your own."

"Objection!' Cole cried, standing up. Derek glanced up at him thankfully, shaking with anger and nerves. He knew Cole was stopping the lawyer's little tirade partially because it was unfair, and also because he couldn't stand to see such false accusations thrown at one of his best friends. Derek did care about other people, and Cole knew that.

Judge Cormack glanced down at Cole curiously, his eyebrow raised.

"He's jumping to conclusions." Cole explained, glaring at his opponent. "A few idiotic mistakes doesn't mean that he never thinks about anyone but himself. He's done plenty for others. When Jayden ran away from the hospital, he ran after him, not even caring that he needed medical attention himself. He made sure that the marriage and the move to London was alright with Jayden before he made any changes. He always checks with his wife before he makes any major decisions regarding either of their sons; he's actually quite mature when it comes to raising his kids."

The judge thought for a moment, before nodding, and turning back to Mr.Evans.

"We will keep in mind that Mr.Venturi has been known to make some questionable errors in his past, but you can't refer to him as generally reckless and unemotional. You have no such proof." he said, before motioning for the man to continue. Mr.Evans looked slightly put out, as did Cole, seeing as neither man had really gotten the better half of that argument.

"Regarding your first engagement," he began, pacing back and forth in front of Derek slowly. "I was unable to obtain any information regarding this, but I'd appreciate it if you shared it with us."

Derek hesitated, very unwilling to repeat this story. They hadn't even told their family this story, yet. Only their very close friends knew what had really happened between the two. But he glanced down at Cole, who was giving him a very tiny nod, telling him to tell Natalie's lawyer what had happened between him and Casey. He couldn't imagine why, but Cole was the professional here, not him. He drew in a shaky breath, preparing to retell this story for what was one of very few times.

"I, uh... I got drunk, and cheated on her." he said shamefully, his heart squeezing at the sound of those words leaving his mouth. He glanced down towards his wife, who looked upset upon remembering this event, but yet he could tell she wasn't angry with him for it, anymore. He bit his lip, not wanting to continue, but knowing he had to. "It was a... a one time thing, and I'd never do it again. I learned from my mistake."

"So it's safe to assume that you act on impulse when you're drunk?" he asked, and Derek could feel his palms sweating, at this point. Not one single word that had slipped from his lips would work in his defence, so far; and that definitely wasn't a good thing. He sat there, contemplating how to best answer Mr.Evans question. His mind flashed back to Casey the night before, and how he had yelled at her. And the time before that, hadn't he acted pretty stupidly then, too?

Knowing he had to be honest, he nodded slowly, shame washing over him like a wave.

"Yeah, I guess so." he admitted, his voice cracking slightly. "But I-"

"So it's quite possible that you could end up being violent, if you were too drunk?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Derek's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened at the man's ridiculous accusation. "Either that, or you could neglect basic safety rules, and-"

"This is ridiculous!" Casey suddenly said, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived. Everyone turned to look at her, the judge alarmed by the unfamilar voice, and Derek's eyes softened when he saw the anger in her eyes. Casey was breaking her own rules, just to defend his honour. At least he knew she cared.

She glanced at Derek, and then back up at the judge, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Derek may be a pretty stupid drunk, and an annoying one at that, but he's never, ever violent. He'd never hit me, or the kids. I can say that with full confidence."

"And would you have thought he was capable of cheating on you, before?" Mr.Evans asked knowingly, a cold smile gracing his lips. Casey started to respond, her mouth opening to speak, but then a look of realization dawned over her, and she fell completely silent, her mouth clamping shut. The lawyer smiled contently, turning back to Derek.

"That's what I thought." he muttered under his breath. Derek's eyes narrowed at him, and he felt himself gritting his teeth to keep from telling Mr.Evans just where he wanted him to go; hell.

"How is any of this relevant to who gets custody of Jayden?" Casey asked, confused. She sat down again, her eyes flickering back and forth between Derek, Mr.Evans, and Judge Cormack.

Mr.Evans turned back to her, looking calmer than they had ever seen him before; maybe because he was explaining instead of yelling.

"Every single character trait of both gaurdians are important to who gets custody of Jayden." he explained, clasping his hands together behind his back. "How an individual acts can impact how they raise their kids. And kids often grow up with the same morals and guidelines that their parents gave them while they grew up. We want to pick a guardian that will be suitable for Jayden, so he can grow up to be the best person he could possibly be."

Casey clearly agreed with this statement, for she nodded, and sat down again, taking a couple of deep breaths. Judge Cormack looked from Derek, to Mr.Evans, looking vaguely lost for a moment, perhaps dazed by the interruption from Casey. He sat up straighter, giving them both a serious look.

"Mr.Evans, are you done questioning Mr.Venturi?" he asked, glancing down at his papers. "Can we move onto the next stage of our trial?"

Mr.Evans locked his gaze with Derek's, smirking confidently. Derek wasn't one to feel easily threatened, but at that moment, he felt so insignificant, like he was so below this man. He knew this was nonsense, that he probably had more in terms of happiness than this cynical man ever would, but he couldn't convince himself of it when he was being given that smug little smile.

"Yes, Your Honour." the lawyer said, nodding slowly. "I'm done. I also have no questions for my own client. I have questioned her enough beforehand to know the answers to any questions I may have. To summarize what she has told me, I would just like to say that she is well-prepared to provide a suitable home for her grandson. She assures that he will not be hanging around with the same kids that he did when he visited, which obviously led to fighting before. And she tells me that she has his education in her best interests. She plans on sending Jayden to a nearby private scool, where he can focus more on his education, rather than extra-cirricular."

"But I like extra-cirricular." Jayden cried, fearful. He glanced up at the judge, fear flashing through his features. "I'm an athlete. I can't just quit my-"

"My client also assures me that her grandson would be allowed to join one after-school club or team, and that he can play his other sports recreationally, in his free time, so long as it does not interfere with his studies."

Jayden did not look at all pleased by this information, and Derek was trying his very best not to hit Mr.Evans for interrupting Jayden like he had. Just because Jayden was a kid, didn't mean he deserved to be interrupted everytime he tried to speak. But nonetheless, he watched as Judge Cormack nodded, signalling that he had heard enough from Mr.Evans.

With that, the lawyer snatched his papers up, and turned on his heel, returning to his seat next to Natalie. Derek scowled at the pair of them, unsure of which one he hated more; Natalie for starting this mess in the first place, or Mr.Evans for being so damn logical and excellent at his job.

Judge Cormack did not notice Derek's anger, and he turned towards Cole, who was gathering together his own papers, to prepare himself for his turn at an interrogation.

"Mr.Myers, do you have any questions for Mr.Venturi, or can we move onto Ms.Turner. Whatever suits you better."

Cole stared straight ahead, and shook his head, signalling that he was fine with skipping over Derek.

"I have no questions for my client." he said confidently, and Derek relaxed a little. As much as he knew Cole would not treat him the way that Mr.Evans had, he was still relieved that he could return to his seat, and watch Natalie sit in the torture-seat for awhile. "But I would like to make a few statements about Mr.Venturi, quite like Mr.Evans just did on his own client. Despite how he used to be, he's changed. Having two children has changed him for the better; he's not reckless all the time. Sure, he's made some questionable decisions in the past, but everybody makes mistakes. And as for his drinking; yes, he does act quite stupidly when he's drunk, but from what I know, he doesn't get drunk that often-" he said, and Derek could've sworn that Casey's gaze dropped to her feet, then, but he couldn't be sure. "Overall, he makes an excellent gaurdian for Jayden. He makes responsible decisions about Jayden's well-being, and I think he can continue to do just as amazing of a job as he's done to date."

Judge Cormack nodded, and motioned for Natalie to come up to the stand.

A minute later, Natalie was seated in the spot where Derek had so recently occupied, not looking at all nervous. She was sitting up perfectly straight, a calm smile plastered onto her features as she waited for Cole to begin questioning her. Derek watched, praying that Cole would be able to do just as good of a job as Mr.Evans had on him.

"I would like you to tell us, once again, why you want custody." Cole began, pacing slowly in front of her. "Just as Mr.Venturi was asked to do."

Natalie nodded, not looking at all phased by this question, like Derek hadn't been.

"Easy." she said, shrugging. "He's the only grandson I've got- the only grandchild I've got, actually. I never had the chance to raise him, or even see him, his entire life, and now I want to take over the role of his gaurdian. I fully appreciate that the Venturi family has been taking adequate care of him, to date, but I'd like to take control of his upbringing myself, now."

"Load of crap if I ever heard it." Derek muttered to Casey, who nodded in agreement.

"Do you fully understand the nature of taking in a child that you barely know?" Cole asked her, unable to keep the bitterness from his tone. "The Venturi family is already accustomed to his wants and needs, and to his interests and behaviour. They know how to raise him. To take him from another home, when he has already been moved around this much, would be a very difficult transition for everyone, you included."

"If you'll remember correctly, they had to adjust to living with Jayden as well." Natalie argued, and Derek had to admit that she had a good point. "When my grandchild moved in with Derek Venturi, he knew him, sure, but they weren't used to living together. I think I can make that same adjustment, as well as the Venturis could."

Cole watched her for a moment, apparantly not expecting this answer, and Natalie raised an eyebrow, as though impatiently awaiting his next question.

"Jayden Walker is well known in his school for both his academics, and his sports achievements." he went on, sighing. "If you have his best interests in mind, why are you talking about limiting the amount of time he spends on one of his greatest interests and talents- sports?"

Natalie remained unmoved, shrugging.

"He can focus better on his schoolwork, that way." she explained casually, as though it was common sense. "That should be his main priority."

"But he's at the top of his grade." Cole said, raising an eyebrow. "He's already exceeding every expectation that teachers and other adults set for him, even after skipping a grade. He clearly doesn't need to cut back on any of his extra-cirricular activities to maintain a good education. It's worked for him, so far."

Natalie's eyes flashed dangerously, and it was clear that she was annoyed with Cole's persistancy, and his challenge of her opinion.

"He's my grandson, and if I am awarded custody, I can decide these sorts of things for myself." she claimed coldly, glaring at her interrogator.

Derek rolled his eyes, sensing her hostility, but deep down, he was sort of relieved that she had snapped like that. It meant that she too, realized that she was coming off as being uninterested in Jayden's interests. And he knew that couldn't be seen as a good thing in court.

"I understand that your son, Devon Bailey, was arrested yesterday, for an attempted robbery?" Cole asked, and it was quite clear that he had hit a sensitive spot, for Natalie's face instantly turned cold as she blushed, clearly trying to shield the fact that she was embarassed.

"How is that relevant?" she snapped coldly, turning her gaze towards the ceiling, not wanting to face the lawyer standing before her.

Cole was unable to keep the smirk off of his face as he folded his arms, shaking his head at her.

"Well, as your lawyer so kindly pointed out-" he started, with a venomous and triumphant glance towards his opponent, who looked away quickly. "-kids learn from what their parents teach them, right? Every characteristic counts. I'd just like to know what sort of characteristics would cause a child to turn out to be a criminal."

"Objection!" Mr.Evans claimed, standing up. "He's degrading my client's son."

"He degraded himself by breaking into someone else's home." Cole pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "I don't have to do anything- he's done this to himself."

"My son is a good man." Natalie argued, frowning. "He really is. He was trying to help me."

"So you raised your son to believe that becoming a criminal is the best way to help someone?" Cole questioned, tilting his heads to the side as Natalie shook her head frantically. "No? So then where would he learn something like that?"

Derek was pleased to see that Natalie was finally becoming nervous; her face was a pale white, and she was squirming slightly in her spot, as though she wanted to get up and leave the courtroom.

"I wouldn't know." she said, clearly a lie. "Maybe he's been hanging out with some questionable people, I-"

"No, I don't believe that's true." Cole argued, shaking his head. "In the same statement that I read to you yesterday, Mrs.Tamara Ryan, she also claims that she had alot of trouble trying to spend time with your daughter. Apparantly, you made sure that you knew all of your children's friends, and that if you didn't approve of them, or their background, they wouldn't be allowed anywhere near your kids. Mrs.Ryan only slipped through the cracks because you and your daughter fought about it."

Natalie's mouth hung open at Cole's accusation, and she stammered out a few words, none of which made any sense. Cole gave her a confused look, unsure as to what she was trying to say, and after a moment she managed to regain some of her composure, attempting to hide her shame.

"It's very hard to moniter who my twenty-two year old son spends his time with from a different country." she claimed defensively, frowning. "I try, believe me I do. But it's very hard. If I had of known that he was getting involved in such activities... I would've demanded he come home."

"Right." Cole said, nodding. He glanced down on his paper to see what came next on his list of issues. "Now, let me get this straight. You have informed Mr.Easton that, should Jayden be placed in your care, you'd prefer he have no contact whatsoever with the Venturi family?"

Derek winced at this, and he felt Casey and Jayden stiffen up on either side of him, clearly not any happier about this than he was. They had been told the night before about this interesting little addition to Natalie's web of destruction. Derek had argued for what felt like hours with Mr.Easton, claiming that if they lost, they needed to have contact with Jayden, but Mr.Easton had told them that it would be Natalie's decision, and he would have to speak to her about it.

And now, he glanced up at Natalie, who was nodding to confirm this piece of information.

"That's right." she said, not sounding at all ashamed of her obnoxious request. "I believe that a clean break is always best. He'll adjust better if he's not always being reminded of them. And he's allowed to talk to them, he'll never fully transition into a new life."

Cole looked absolutely disgusted, as the Venturis, but he let it slide, moving onto his last piece of information.

"You've told Mr.Easton that you disapprove of the home in which Jayden is being brought up in." he said, and Derek knew exactly where this was going. "Care to explain that?"

A sly smirk crept onto Natalie's features, and she looked right at Derek and Casey as she nodded.

"It's nothing personal." she said, dishonesty lingering on her every word. "Really, it's not. But this marriage, to me, is immoral. Stepsiblings should never cross that line... and they have. I'm not comfortable with Jayden living in a home like that. He's being corrupted."

"He's not being corrupted." Cole argued, shaking his head. "He's perfectly fine with their relationship."

"That's what worries me." Natalie said, shaking her head, her forehead creased with worry. "He should find this wrong-"

"Why, because you do?" Derek snapped, his eyes narrowed angrily at her as he attempted not to get up and hit her.

The sound of a gavel slamming onto the surface of Judge Cormack's stand could be heard ringing throughout the courtroom.

"That's enough with the outbursts, Mr.Venturi." he said, for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Derek, please." Casey said, trying not to make him angry like she had the last time. He almost made a big deal of it, but then rememebred that they had agreed not to argue. So he swallowed his pride, and simply sat there, defenseless, and unable to speak his mind against Natalie Turner.

"As for you, Ms.Turner," Judge Cormack said, turning towards the older woman, who looked surprised that she was suddenly the object of scorn. "I'd appreciate it if you kept this trial entirely related to custody issues, and parental characteristics. Mr. and Mrs.Venturi's relationship does not interfere with Jayden's upbringing."

"Not at all." Jayden agreed, wanting so badly to stand up for his parent's slightly unconventional, yet amazing, relationship. "I love them for who they are. I don't care if they're stepsiblings."

"Matter overruled." Judge Cormack said, much to Natalie's dismay. She rolled her eyes, looking away from the lot of them, and Cole took a step backwards, taking a deep breath.

"That's all the questions I have for Ms.Turner." he said, feeling fairly confident in his own interrogation. "Thank you, Ms.Turner."

With that, Natalie returned to her seat, and Cole followed suite, taking a seat next to Derek, who shot him a very forced, grateful smile. He gave him one back, before turning his attention to the judge.

"I'm calling for a fifteen break in the trial, so that I can review all of the arguments that have been made over the past few days, from both sides." Judge Cormack said, and a few breaths of relief could be heard throughout the courtroom, that they would be able to put off hearing the dreaded decision for another half an hour. Another, smaller part of them just wanted the whole thing to be done and over with, but their fear seemed to outweigh their curiousity.

"Court is dismissed for a fifteen break." he said, before slamming his gavel down, and making his way from the room again.

Derek stood up, his eyes locking briefly with Natalie's in a realization that nothing they said or did mattered anymore. What had been said was said, and now they just had to wait until the final decision was announced.

He did not spare her another moment of his time before making his way out of the courtroom, Casey, Cole, and Jayden following closely behind him.

They were met instantly in the main lobby by Lizzie and Edwin, who had been watching Jeff for them throughout the trial that day.

"Jay!" Jeff cried, running immediately towards the older boy, who grinned and kneeled down to to catch Jeff in his arms. He grinned, lifting his younger brother up into his arms.

"Hey, bro." he said, wearing a genuine smile for the first time all day. The weight of the trial, added to Casey and Derek's fighting and the impending decision, was definitely not helping reduce his stress.

Derek let the courtroom door swung shut behind him, and he met up with Edwin, a curious expression on his face when he saw his younger son, there.

"Ed, what is..." he started, but trailed off when Edwin shrugged.

"Jeff kept asking about Jayden, and whether or not he was going to be staying." Edwin said, blushing a bit. "And I, uh... sort of wanted to let him... I mean,if things don't turn out the way you want... he needs to say-"

"-goodbye." Derek finished, nearly choking over the word as he saw his younger son, who was on the ground again, attempting to high-five Jayden. It was harder than it looked, since Jayden kept reaching his hand up higher and higher each time so that Jeff could barely reach. "Yeah..." he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I understand. I didn't even think about it earlier, but..." he trailed off, unable to even piece together a coherant thought. It was as though all of his worries were suddenly coming together, led by the decision that would either make or break his world in just ten short minutes.

He gave his brother a look of respect, nodding slowly as he attempted to fight back his fear.

"Thanks, Ed." he said, giving his brother a quick pat on the back, before turning to Lizzie. "How you doin', sis?"

Lizzie, who had been staring at Jayden intently, turned to look at Derek, her eyes completely unfocused.

"Hm?" she asked, clearly not paying attention. He raised an eyebrow, and she immediately snapped back to attention. "Oh, right, I'm good, I guess. It's just... I mean, I'm worried. I don't know how you and Case are putting up with all of this, I just..."

"Daddy!"

Derek turned just in time to catch an oncoming Jeff, who was running excitedly towards him. He lifted his youngest son up into his arms, holding his head tight against his shoulder and closing his eyes tightly. He gave this moment real thought, thinking to himself that he had tons of moments like these everyday with both of the boys- moments that made him happy to be a father. And it was just occuring to him that he had taken those moments for granted for so long. He pulled back, trying to stay strong for the sake of his son.

Grinning, he spun Jeff around once, listening to the sound of the small boy's laughter as he tilted his head back.

"How's my little troublemaker?" he asked, grinning. "Are you driving your aunt and uncle nuts, yet?"

Jeff nodded, a proud look upon his features, and Derek caught sight of Jayden out of the corner of his eyes. The boy was studying Derek and Jeff with a look he'd never worn before; jealousy, and realization. Jeff's future was entirely stable. He had been born to two parents, he lived with two parents, and as long as things ran smoothly, he would always have Casey and Derek.

Jayden, however much he was fully accepted as a family member, had been born to different parents. And although that didn't matter to any of them, it was the reason he was here now, and it was the reason that he may have to leave them. The look in his eyes, for the first time since the trial began, was one of absolute terror.

Derek noticed, and he passed Jeff off to Casey, the smile on his lips dying away quickly. He made his way towards Jayden slowly, their eyes locked in some sort of silent understanding. When he stopped in front of him, he studied the younger boy more carefully than he ever had before. And he could make out the features of his best friend; the hair that fell so carefully around his eyes. It fell in the same way that Jeff's had. The shape of his face, and of his nose, was so obviously his father's, and Derek was hit with a constant wave of nostalgia, wanting to return to the time when him and Jeff would just sit around the house, watching hockey games and laughing as a toddler version of Jayden would scramble around the apartment, getting in the way of the TV, or accidently stepping on the off switch of the remote during the last five seconds of the game.

He gulped back the misery that he was feeling at the painful reminder of his deceased best friend, and he clapped a hand on Jayden's shoulder.

"Are you ready?" he asked, biting his lower lip.

He could tell that Jayden was not at all ready; in fact, he was just as uncertain as Derek was, but for whatever reason, he nodded his head, giving the mixed signal that he was.

"Ready as I'll ever be." he said, drawing in a shuddery breath. "Do we have to go back in, now?"

Derek nodded, wishing that they didn't have to, and Jayden gave him a pained look, before turning to his younger brother, motioning for him to come over.

The entire family watched as Jeff scrambled over to where his brother was. Jayden kneeled down, looking at the toddler with more emotion than he ever had before. It was clear that he was fighting off the urge to just run- away from the courthouse, away from his grandmother, to a place where everything made sense.

But in his world, nothing had ever made sense, and this would be no exception.

With no words to say, Jayden pulled Jeff against him in a tight hug, his eyes shut painfully tight.

Jeff, although he was only two years old, seemed to sense that his brother was being one hundred percent, completely serious, for he wrapped his smaller arms as best as he could around the twelve year old.

"In case I gotta go, I want to tell you you're the best little brother I could ever ask for." Jayen said, his voice shaking miserably with unshed tears. "-not to mention the best little partner in crime in all of Canada."

He pulled back long enough to manage a very tiny smile at the toddler, who just stared back, his bottom lip quivering.

"No leaving!" Jeff managed to get out, shaking his head.

Jayden glanced up at Derek, unsure of how to explain to a toddler that leaving wasn't something he was choosing. It was something that may be forced upon him.

"I won't leave unless I absolutely have to." he promised, pulling Jeff back in for one more hug. "But if I do, I want you to know I'll miss you so much, alright? Drive Mom nuts for me, and make sure you annoy Dad when he's trying to watch hockey- he hates that."

Jeff nodded slowly, unable to manage a smile, and Jayden pulled back with great difficulty, giving Jeff one more reluctant look.

"Later, bro." he got out, extending his hand to the smaller boy, who high-fived him with ease.

On shaking legs, Jayden stood up, drawing in a very shaky breath. He gave Derek and Casey the bravest look that he could summon up, before pulling a serious face.

"Come on." he said, making his way towards the courtroom doors.

All they could do was follow.

- - - -

"I have reviewed both sides of this case in great detail, over and over again." Judge Cormack was saying, watching as the two opposing sides waited anxiously for the final decision to be announced. "It has occured to me that both Natalie Turner, and Casey and Derek Venturi could provide more than suitable homes for the minor, Jayden Walker." he continued, and Derek felt his heart practically beating out of his chest. He had never felt so nervous in his entire life, not even on both of the days he had asked Casey to marry him.

As if on cue, Derek felt Casey's hands slip into his own, and he instantly felt relaxation shoot through his body. It still amazed him how easily she calmed him, and how her hand always seemed to find his at exactly the right moment.

"It is the court's responsibility to place Jayden in the home that we think is most beneficial for him." the judge continued, an unreadable expression on his face. Derek hated that; it made it impossible to predict the outcome. "Both sides can provide Jayden with a very priveleged lifestyle, and believe me when I say it is a very close decision, one that I do not enjoy having to make." he said, and Derek could feel his foot tapping nervously.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jayden staring off into space, his face emotionless and dark. And it was at that moment that Derek fully appreciated that Jayden Walker had truly lived. He had truly experienced life. His young life had been blighted with tradgedy within the first few hours of his life, and it had set an unbreakable pattern ever since. He had been forced to face so much death and destruction, not to mention having to move countless times. Derek could only imagine what it must feel like to have the stability of your life constantly threatened.

Jayden noticed Derek looking at him, and he locked his gaze with his, no hint of a smile on his face. They both gave each other a silent nod, before looking away, a new understanding dawning upon them. They were family, and a silly little matter like custody could never, ever take that from them.

"It is therefore in this court's best interest," Judge Cormack began, his voice sounding official and stern. "-to grant full custody of the minor, Jayden Alexander Walker, to his maternal grandmother, Natalie Turner."

And for Derek, that was the moment when his world came crashing down.

* * *

**And there we have it folks. Review, and updates shall come sooner. :) Please do not throw any dangerous objects at me, I'm fragile ! **


	24. You Don't Forget Family

**I got 40 reviews for the last chapter- you guys seriously rock. I'm sorry I never updated sooner, but I had to work every single day this weekend, and during the little free time I had, I was out for my friend's birthday, or else trying to squeeze in some homework. On the plus side, I'm pretty free this week, so I should update really soon. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Life With Derek, Myspace, or anything else mentioned in this chapter.**

**Chapter Twenty Four: You Don't Forget Family**

Time seemed to freeze as the judge's words began to sink in. The silence was deadly, and Derek could feel, no hear, his heart practically pounding against his chest. His palms were sweaty, and he could've sworn that his breathing ceased entirely. He waited anxiously for the judge to reveal that this was all some joke, that he was only kidding. But he knew that this was real life, and in real life, judges only revealed the truth. And the truth was that Jayden was leaving them forever. He was too ashamed to look over at the smug smile hat he was sure would be on Natalie's face by now.

"No..." he whispered fearfully, shaking his head as his hands curled into tight fists, unable to let this happen. "Y-You can't..."

The judge carried on like Derek hadn't spoken, clearly not wanting to face all of the emotions of the one who had lost the trial.

"It is clear to me that the Venturis have been providing a more than suitable home for Jayden, to date, and I have no doubts that they could quite easily continue to do so." he said, and Derek was vaguely aware of the fact that Casey was no longer holding his hand, for she had slipped down into her seat, overcome with shock. He couldn't bring himself to check on her, at the moment. He was hanging onto the judge's every word. "I do, however, feel that it is only right to allow Ms.Turner to care for her grandson just as efficiently as she did during her trial custody. I understand that the Venturi family has a very strong emotional bond with the child, but it is also clear to me that Jayden is able to adjust well to new surroundings, and will be able to adjust to life in California quite easily."

"No!" Derek said again, trying to refrain from throwing something at either Natalie, Mr.Evans, or the judge. They all seemed like such tempting targets at the moment.

"Natalie Turner is now in charge of all decisions regarding Jayden's education, healthcare, activities, and general well-being. The Venturi family no longer has any legal right over the minor, and must abide by all guidelines regarding contact that Ms.Turner sets for them. Ms.Turner will be required to sign custody papers, which can be done before leaving here today." he continued, emotionless. "Jayden will remain in the custody of his grandmother until such a time that she is unwilling, unable, or deemed unsuitable, to care for him any longer, at which time another suitable gaurdian would be appointed. Otherwise, she will have full custody of her grandson until his eighteenth birthday, when he will legally become an adult. At that time, who he chooses to spend his time with is in his own hands. Court is now dismissed." he said, slamming the gavel down.

"You can't do this!" Derek repeated, louder this time, and he knew that the judge must have heard him, for a look of utmost pity crossed his face, though he ignored him. Derek turned for one brief moment, and when he turned back, the judge was gone. It was apparant tha he hadn't wanted to stick around to deal with the argument that was sure to break out should he stay. He turned around to see Casey slumped down, shaking uncontrollably, but he couldn't tell if she was crying.

His eyes landed instantly on Jayden, who seemed to have lost the maturity that he had managed to maintain throughout the rest of the trial. His eyes were watering, and he was shaking his head, clearly frightened.

"No!" he cried, his voice cracking. "Th-They can't!" he yelled as Derek sat down again, looking up at him through broken eyes. "Derek, you... you said we'd always b-be family."

"We will be, Jayden." he tried to explain, nodding frantically, but Jayden shook his head in disagreement. "Come on, buddy, please. Believe me, here."

"No!" he said, close to tears. "You said I w-was a Venturi..."

"You _are_ a Venturi, Jay." Derek said, his voice harsh as he gripped Jayden's shoulders. "You'll always be a Venturi."

Jayden shook his head, choking over his own tears. He gave Derek a look of utmost terror, looking absolutely broken.

"No, I won't." he argued, breaking Derek's heart. "I'm gonna be a..."

"Don't say it, Jay." Derek begged of him, not willing to accept the boy in front of him as anything but a Venturi. "You'll never be a Turner."

Jayden opened his mouth to speak, but he never got a word out before he was being dragged backwards by the collar of his button up shirt. He glanced upwards, looking right into the eyes of his victorious looking grandmother. She was wearing a triumphant sort of smirk, and Derek straightened up to eye level with her, his own eyes flashing with pure and utter hatred. She kept a hold on the back of her grandson's shirt, not wanting him to move any closer to Casey and Derek than he already was. Derek knew that she was just brimming with pride right now, and he hated that. He wanted so badly to just take Jayden and leave; he wanted to take him and leave, and go to a place where nobody could ever hurt their family again.

"You bitch." Derek spat out, no longer caring about coming off as unstable, or as a cocky bastard. He didn't care; he had nothing to lose, at this point. "You tore our family apart. You fucking destroyed it. Was this what you wanted, huh? Why the hell are you even doing this? You don't need a kid. Hell, you don't even _want_ a kid. You just want a kid like Jayden to boost your already flawless reputation. You don't care about him. Why don't you just let him stay with us? We love him, and we're so proud of him. He's happy here... he's... he's _happy_. How the hell can you take that away from a kid?"

"He'll be happy enough in California." she defended, shrugging carelessly. "He doesn't need you and your dysfunctional family to be happy."

"Point A," Derek started, his eyes narrowed. "Don't you _ever _refer to my family as dysfunctional _again_. Point B, he won't be happy in California, because he doesn't belong there. What the hell is wrong with you, dammit?"

He trailed off when he realized that Casey was crying quietly to herself behind him. And it hit him then that he still hadn't gotten around to comforting her.

Shooting one last glare at Natalie, he sat down next to Casey, wrapping one arm around her waist and rubbing small circles on her back with the other. He leaned in closer to her, whispering into her ear.

"Please relax, Casey." he whispered, glad that Natalie wasn't leaving yet, since he wasn't done yelling at her. "Please, it'll be okay."

She only cried harder, and he felt his heart break as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head gently. Her body was shaking against his side terribly, and he felt his heart aching for her. He wanted nothing more than to be able to make her happy again, but he knew that practically nothing could. He shot a glare at Natalie again, shaking his head in disgust.

"Are you happy now?" he muttered under his breath, his voice lined with pure hatred. She turned her head to the side, avoiding eye contact. This only angered Derek further, and he stood up, allowing Cole to take his place in comforting Casey. "_Well_? Are you?"

She remained silent, and Derek let out a low growl in the back of his throat, her refusal to answer infuriating him.

"Would you fucking answer me?" he hissed, clenching his fists so hard that he was sure that he drew blood with his fingernails.

Natalie found the strength to look Derek in the eye, and slowly but surely, a cold smile graced her lips, chilling every bone in Derek's body. If there was one person on the planet that he hated, it was Natalie Turner. She was vile, and cruel, and if it was up to him, Jayden would never, ever go with her. He couldn't imagine leaving his son to her mercy. He almost hated himself for allowing it; but the situation was out of his hands, now. The judge's decision had been made, and legally, there was nothing he could do to stop this.

"I don't have to answer to you." was all Natalie said, shrugging her shoulders happily. She gripped Jayden's shoulder tighter, her lips pursed together. "Come on, Jayden. I've got custody papers to sign."

She let go of his shoulder and began to make her way towards the door in the back of the courtroom, where her lawyer had exited through a moment before, but she turned when she saw that Jayden wasn't moving. He was standing there, absolutely motionless, his eyes locked with Derek's in some sort of silent understanding.

This was the end of the line. After this, there would be nothing. No phone calls, no emails, no visits, nothing. It would be like their familial bond had been wiped off the face of the earth entirely. They would have absolutely no contact with each other, and the very thought of it terrified Derek. Jayden had started off as his friend, and over the years, they had developed some undeniable form of family bond, not to mention the fact that they were the best of friends. And now, with one simple decision, with a few quick words, it would all be gone. They would be nothing to each other. It was like the past four years would've been erased from time, forever.

"Jayden." his grandmother said, sounding impatient. "I said let's go."

Jayden slowly shook his head, his eyes never leaving Derek's.

"I'm not leaving without saying goodbye to them." he argued, his voice firm and decisive. "Absolutely not. I need to say goodbye. You've got to let me."

Natalie looked as though she had every intention of denying her grandson this request, and what killed Derek was that she could do it. She could merely refuse to let him speak with them at all, and it'd be done. She could force him to leave that court without another word to Derek or Casey, and they could do nothing about it, because she had that right. Since the beginning, Derek had held all of that power. He had been the one to decide when and where Jayden got to go anywhere. But now, the tables had turned, and she held every ounce of power in her hands.

And Derek, who was staring up at Natalie, had to admit that he was desperately and pathetically at her mercy.

"Please..." Jayden whispered one more time, turning to look at his grandmother.

Her eyes dawned with realization, and her eyebrows scrunched together for a moment. Whether it was mere annoyance, or a sign that a shred of decency did exsist in her body, she nodded, signalling that it was alright. She grabbed her purse off of the bench next to her, swinging it over her shoulder.

"Send him out when you're done." she said, nodding her head towards them. "Don't be long. And about his belongings, I'll have him do up a list, and you can send him whatever it is he wants."

Derek's eyes lit up hopefully, and she shook her head, sensing what was on his mind.

"But that's the last time you will associate with him in any way." she warned him, raising a finger at him. "I don't want to hear from you after that, you got it? A clean break, that's what's best here."

With that, she was gone, and Derek ran both of his hands through his hair, racking his brain for any solution. He'd settle for anything right about now.

"Please, stop this." Jayden begged of him, crying now. "Derek, you're my father. You're my _father._ She's nothing to me. I can't go and live with her for the next six years, Derek. I want to stay with you guys! This isn't fair. P-Please, do something, anything."

"I can't." Derek said, shaking his head. "I want to- so badly, I really do. But this is beyond my control. Once the judge makes his decision, we can't do anything else. If we could, I'd never let you leave."

"There has to be something." Jayden said again, and he glanced at Cole, his eyes desperate now. "Tell me there's something."

Cole glanced away, chewing on his lower lip shamefully. He continued to hold Casey tight to him, and Jayden frowned, looking back and forth between each man in disbelief.

"I'm... I'm really leaving, aren't I? he asked, the realization finally dawning on him. There was a shocked look in his eyes, almost as though he didn't quite believe in the idea yet. Derek, too, was having trouble accepting that this was real- this was really happening to them.

Jayden appeared to be speechless, for he sunk down into his seat again, staring straight ahead, his eyes wide. Derek looked from his wife, to Jayden, and recognized that his family was slowly shattering, right before his eyes. He had let them down. He was supposed to be able to protect them from this; he was supposed to keep them together. And now... Jayden was leaving, Casey was getting mad at him more and more; he was losing everything.

Before he could even speak, Cole spoke up, mirroring his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, you guys." was all he said, sounding absolutely disgusted with himself. "I should've tried harder. This is..."

Casey looked up for the first time since the judge's announcement, shaking her head frantically.

"Don't you dare say this is your fault, Cole." she said, her eyes red from crying. Cole squeezed her hand a little bit tighter, frowning. "You tried as best as you could. The problem was Natalie. As horrible of a person as she is, she does it in a way that it's impossible to prove. You should be happy you managed to get anything on her."

Cole shrugged, not looking any happier than he had a few moments before.

"I don't know... I still feel bad." he admitted, sounding embarassed by his performance.

"Don't." Derek said, shaking his head. "Casey's right; you did the best anyone could do, when it comes to Natalie."

Cole nodded, still not looking at all convinced, and a moment later, there was a quick knock at the door. The four of them turned to see who it was, and Mr.Evans popped his head in through the door, glancing at the four of them quickly.

"Ms.Turner has asked me to tell you to hurry up, she's got a flight to catch in a few hours." he said.

He never gave them a chance to respond to him, before he had backed away from the door, and closed it once more. The sound of it shutting echoed through Derek's mind- another painful reminder that their time with Jayden was running painfully short. He knew they only had a few minutes left with him. And he intended on making them last.

He turned to the boy who had kept him sane for the past four years, the boy who had kept him company even during the most lonely periods of his life. And he knew then that this was the very end.

"Jayden..." he said slowly, unsure of what he was supposed to say in a situation like this. A simple goodbye just didn't seem appropriate for someone who had played such an important part in his life. Jayden, apparantly, was thinking this as well, for he appeared to be extremely overhwhelmed with it all. His face was pale as he struggled to find the right words.

"I guess it's goodbye then, huh?" he asked, practically choking over his own words.

Derek shrugged, trying to keep some dignity and composure in his voice.

"For now." he told him, trying not to get Jayden's hopes up too much, or crash them entirely. "When you're eighteen, feel free to come back to us."

"That's six years, Derek." Jayden said, biting his lower lip nervously. "That's longer than you've even had me for."

Derek tried not to think about this, and attempted to keep things on the positive side, if there was such a thing at this point.

"And think of how fast that time flew." he said in a failed attempt to cheer Jayden up. He gripped the kid's shoulder gently, offering a very forced half smile. "Come on, Jay. Maybe you'll like California. There's beaches, and surfing, and you've already got some pretty cool friends there, and you've-"

"-got nobody that really cares about me." he finished sadly, shaking his head. "Do you know how hard it was not to just get on a plane by myself and come home, during those two weeks? The only thing that kept me sane was the fact that I'd be coming home to you guys. But now, it's for good, and I really don't think I can handle that."

"You can." Derek asusred him, privately wondering if either of them would be able to handle it. "You're a really strong kid, Jay. You've put up with so much, and I'm... I'm really proud of you for it."

Jayden's gaze rasied to meet with his, and his eyebrows raised slightly in surprise.

"R-Really?" he asked, surprised that Derek was actually proud of this particular character trait.

Derek felt no shame whatsoever in nodding his head to signal that he was telling the absolute truth.

"Mhm." he said, glancing over at Casey, who nodded as well. "We both are. You've handled so much, and... I really don't think I would've been able to handle as much as you have." he paused, realizing he was getting too emotional for his own good. Giving a half grin, he gave the kid a gentle shoulder shove. "Besides, anyone who can live with Casey must be pretty tolerant, right?"

Jayden managed to smile a tiny bit as Casey gave a choked laugh, smacking Derek's shoulder lightly.

"Derek, play nice." she warned him, shaking her head.

"This is me playing nice." he shrugged, trying to act as casual as possible. "Get used to it."

Jayden watched them both for a moment as they rolled their eyes at each other, and a wave of sorrow washed over him as he realized this would be the last time he would watch them fighting like this- for six years, anyway. He shook his head, half amused, half upset.

"I'm going to miss you guys." he said, wiping a lonely tear away. "I really am."

Derek's smile disappeared, and he found himself nodding slowly as he gulped, realizing that Jayden had to go now. If they didn't send him out, Natalie would come in again, and he wasn't so sure he could see her smug face without wrestling her to the ground. And quite frankly, Derek wasn't exactly in the mood to be arrested today.

"We'll miss you too, bud." he said, gripping the kid's shoulder a bit tighter. "We all will."

"Tell everyone I'll miss them." he said, glancing from Casey to Derek. "Your parents, Lizzie, Edwin, Marti, Kallie... and Jeff. Make sure Jeff knows."

Casey nodded her head, and Derek knew that the same thoughts were running through her head. How the hell were they supposed to explain to Jeff that Jayden was never coming back? The kid was two, for crying out loud. He'd never fully understand something like this.

Jayden turned to Cole, a tiny smile on his lips.

"Good luck with your new baby." he said, sounding vaguely excited. "Tell Kallie good luck for me, too. Maybe my grandmother will let me on the computer from time to time. She'll moniter whether or not I've contacted Casey or Derek, but maybe I can check out your Myspace. Just in case, post a picture for me. I want to see the baby."

Cole nodded, grinning slightly at the mention of his unborn child.

"I will." he said, making a mental note to himself to stick to his word. "Be good, alright?"

Derek shot him a dirty glare, before turning back to Jayden, shaking his head.

"Don't be good." he said, sounding determined. "Be an absolute monster. Be so bad that she'll want to send you back."

Casey rolled her eyes at her husband's immaturity, before shaking her head at Jayden.

"Don't listen to him, Jayden." she offered, sounding rational and logical. "As much as I want you to stay, I don't think that's going to work. All it'll do is get you into trouble. You don't want to wind up like Derek, do you?"

"Who wouldn't want to wind up like me?" Derek asked, smirking smugly. Casey rolled her eyes, before motioning for Jayden to come over. She gave a jerk of the head towards her, and he practically fell forwards into her arms, closing his eyes as she enveloped him in a tight hug. She combed her hand through his hair, cherishing her last few moments with him.

"I'll miss you." Jayden murmered, his forehead wrinkled with stress and frustration as he scrunched his face up. He pulled back a little bit to smile at her. "I bet my grandmother's cooking won't be as good as yours. And she'll get mad at me if I make too big of a mess. You don't."

She ruffled his hair, before kissing his forehead lightly, trying to smile.

"Love you, Jay." she said, ignoring his comments. "Never forget it."

"Love you, too." he said shamelessly, nodding his head. "Don't let Derek drive you too crazy."

She laughed, giving Derek a quick glance, which he returned with a smirk. She rolled her eyes before turning back to Jayden.

"I'll try not to, but you know him. He's enough to annoy anyone."

"True." Jayden laughed, before turning to Derek. He sighed deeply, wondering whether or not he should even attempt to hug Derek. He knew that Derek only allowed hugging with his family, which he was was definitely a part of. But half of him worried that if he even tried, they'd both lose control entirely. They were both fully aware that they were fighting back more emotion than they'd ever felt before.

But before he had a chance to contemplate this further, Derek had pulled him against him in a tight hug, one which Jayden returned eagerly.

"Thank you." was all Jayden managed to get out against Derek's shoulder, unsure of what he was really thanking him for. Derek, apparantly, was thinking the same thing, for he pulled back a little, confusion written all over his face.

"For what?" he asked, curious. "What'd I do that was so great?"

Jayden let out an amused laugh, unsure of where he should even begin to answer Derek's question.

"What haven't you done?" he got out, smiling sadly. "You took me in when my Dad died. You've taken care of me since I was eight years old. You gave me the best four years of my life- both of you. And no amount of time with my grandmother can ever live up to that."

"Well it's not like you didn't help me out, too." Derek admitted, for the first time ever. "I mean, without you, I probably never would've changed. I would've still been a jerk, who didn't care about responsibility, or life, or pride... and... well... thank you, Jay."

Jayden nodded hastily, before taking a step backwards. Derek bit his lower lip, knowing that the kid would have to leave now. He didn't want to watch him leave, but he knew that if Jayden didn't leave at that very second, he'd never be able to let him go.

"Go on." he said, fighting back the urge to beg him to stay, even if he knew it was impossible. "Go. Your grandmother is waiting for you."

Jayden nodded, taking one last longing look at his family, before turning around, and making his way slowly towards the door.

They watched him go, forcing themselves to stay seated, and unresponsive. Jayden's steps were purposely slow, and they had a mournful sort of vibe to them. His head was bowed down, his hair falling in messy strands around his eyes. Derek watched him, hungrily taking in the sight of his son, for what he knew would be the last time in at least six years. He could practically feel every single memory that he'd ever shared with the kid hitting him at once, ripping at his heart like a tidal wave. He bit his lower lip, and he felt Casey reach for his hand, but for reasons unknown, he didn't allow her to hold it. He pulled his hand away, gripping the bench behind him tightly, his eyes still fixed on Jayden.

Jayden reached his hand for the handle to the door, and froze for a moment, turning back to his family one more time.

"Promise me you won't forget about me." he said, sounding terrified. "Promise me that when I come back, you guys will still want me there."

Derek had to refrain from laughing. If Jayden thought that he could be forgotten just like that, he was foolish. They'd never, ever forget him.

"You don't forget family, Jay." he said, allowing a tiny smile to grace his lips. "Six years from now, you'll still mean as much to us as you do right now. Distance can't take that from us."

Jayden relaxed, and nodded, gripping the doorknob a little tighter. His face was pale, and it wasn't hard to tell he was shaking.

"Well, bye then." he said, turning it slowly, almost as though he was waiting for some sort of miracle to occur- something that would save him from this fate.

Derek nodded, forcing himself to stay seated, allowing himself to grip the surface beneath his fingers as tightly as he possibly could.

"Yeah." he said slowly, as Jayden took a step through the doorway. "Bye."

The sound of the door slamming echoed through Derek's mind, and he stared at the doorway longingly, half hoping that Jayden would walk back through at any minute, and claim that this was all a joke, or a dream, or something of the sorts. Anything to prove that this wasn't real- this wasn't happening.

But nothing like that happened, just as Derek knew it wouldn't. He cursed under his breath as silently as possible, but Casey must have heard it, for she placed a hand comfortingly on his inner thigh, trying to relax him.

"Derek..." she said slowly, but he shook his head before standing up, and storming out of the courtroom. He had nowhere in particular he needed to go, he just knew he couldn't stay there. He couldn't look Casey or Cole in the eye. He cared about them, just like he cared about Jayden. And he was learning now that, in life, you could never fully count on anyone but yourself. The people you cared about didn't always stay with you. Hadn't he gotten through high school without really having to care about anyone? Until Casey came along at least. She had changed him. Before her, he had been an unloving, selfish, bastard. And he hated that side of himself.

But as he leaned his forehead against the glass of a nearby window, and watched Natalie's lawyer drive away from the courthouse in his stupid little red car, he had to wonder. Had his high school self really been that bad? Sure, he'd been a jerk, but he'd been a happy jerk.

Maybe there was something to be said for relying completely on yourself. Maybe that was the only person you could trust not to hurt you even more.

* * *

**So everyone is a little OOC in this chapter, but I find futurefics often require OOC-ness, especially when kids are involved. I mean, once you have kids, you sort of have to have a heart, or at least I'd hope so. Anyway, review and Ill hopefully update quicker. You guys rock.**


	25. What's In A Name

**This chapter is a bit long, but I had to fit a few things into it. Anyway, it's full of Dasey tension, but enjoy anyway. Keep reviewing, please. And yes, the name meanings mentioned for Casey and Derek are real. **

**Disclaimer: I continue to own nothing.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: What's In A Name**

Derek woke up to the sound of the front door of their house slamming shut. He grumbled aimlessly, burying his face into the nearest cushion again, in a desperate attempt to fall back to sleep. He'd fallen asleep a few hours before when he'd been watching TV, and he could only guess that Casey and Jeff had gone out, for he could hear them piling back into the house now.

"Jeff, watch where you're stepping, please." he could hear Casey saying anxiously. "I've only got two eyes, I can't see behind me."

He heard his son laugh a little, and he rolled his eyes. He wanted to sleep, not be bombarded by his two year old.

But sure enough, a moment later, he felt someone practically jump up onto his chest, and he blearily opened his eyes to see his son staring down at him, flashing him a toothy smile. Derek didn't understand the kid; one second he was all mopey over Jayden, and the next, he'd be perfectly fine. He could only guess being two, and having a short attention span, had it's advantages. Nonetheless, Derek couldn't understand why he was the only one consistantly mopey.

Casey, who had entered behind Jeff, was carrying a few take-out bags from McDonalds, and was leaning against the doorframe, a very small smile on her lips.

"I think you're waking your father up, Jeff." she noted, not sounding all too pleased about this. She let her eyes meet with his, frowning. "Derek, I thought I told you if you were staying home, at least get some of the cleaning done."

Derek raised an eyebrow; this was news to him.

"You did?" he questioned, and she nodded pointedly. He shrugged, unmoved. "Sorry, didn't get the memo."

Casey opened her mouth to respond, but she must have figured it wasn't worth it, for she promptly closed it again, and turned in the doorway, heading towards the kitchen. Derek watched her go, wondering if maybe he had been a bit too cold, but he shrugged it off. He was a guy, he shouldn't be expected to listen to anything anyone said, especially when it came to cleaning.

"McDonalds!" Jeff cried, beaming. "Happy Meal!"

"Oh yeah?" Derek questioned, trying to act normal for the sake of his two year old. "Did Mommy buy you one? I thought you'd grown out of that phase by now. You know, I thought you were on to bigger and better things... like... the Big Mac, and Triple Cheeseburgers. Manly food."

Jeff laughed, shaking his head at his father.

"Silly!" he proclaimed, jabbing a finger at Derek's chest. Derek rolled his eyes playfully, before swinging his son up into his arms, and forcing himself to get up.

He made his way towards the kitchen slowly, Jeff chatting away about nothing in particular in his arms. He entered the kitchen and placed Jeff on the countertop, his arms supporting the small boy to ensure he didn't fall. He watched as Casey took some plates down from the cupboard in front of her. She kept her gaze focused on placing the food on plates- not even acknowledging that Derek had entered the room.

He noticed this, and frowned slightly, wondering if she was actually angry with him.

"Casey?" he questioned, and she gave a nod of the head to show that she was listening. Deciding to try and carry on a normal conversation, he went on. "How was your day?"

"Fine."

"Go anywhere special?"

"Not really."

"Did you drop by our parents house?"

"Yes."

"And...?"

Casey let out an annoyed sigh, raising her head to look at Derek and stopping what she was doing.

"And what, Derek?" she asked, obviously trying very hard to keep her temper. Derek glanced down at Jeff, who was biting down on his knuckle absent-mindedly. He had a feeling that if Jeff wasn't there, Casey wouldn't even be bothering with him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure of what he was even supposed to be asking her.

"And... well, uh, how are they?" he offered, even if that hadn't been his original question. In fact, he wasn't all too sure what his original question had been.

She stared at him for a moment, before picking up the fallen bag, and resuming the preparation of dinner. She shrugged carelessly, an emotionless look on her face.

"They're fine." she offered, her tone bitter. "They wondered where you were. I just told them you didn't want to go."

"I was tired."

"You were out late again last night, actually." she corrected him, fixing him with a stern look. He gave her a confused look, and she rolled her eyes. "I heard you come in at two, Derek. Don't bother lying to me."

Derek considered lying anyway, and praying that she wouldn't see past this, but he knew her well enough to know that his lies rarely worked on her anymore. He was ashamed to say that it was probably because he lied so much, that she was accustomed to it. Ever since Natalie came along, he felt like he'd been doing nothing but lie to her.

"I went out with Sam and Ralph for awhile." he shrugged, as though it were no big deal. "I haven't seen them since this whole mess began."

"Well now that it's over, do you think you could focus on some responsibility that we've been neglecting lately?"

Derek leaned against the counter, lifting his son back onto the floor, only to have him run off into the living room again. Derek barely noticed this as he gave Casey a curious look.

"Like what?" he asked, confused.

She shrugged, though it was apparant that she knew just how to answer that question.

"Work, getting the house back in order, our friends, our family, Jeff... our marriage."

Derek's face paled, and he frowned, unsure of what exactly she meant. He could feel his heart beating nervously against his chest. Her last words had worried him greatly, though he knew that his marriage could never be in any real danger, could it?

"What do you mean by that?" he asked nervously, chewing on his lower lip. "Our marriage is just fine, isn't it?"

She finished taking up the food, and tossed all of the garbage into the one bag without answering him. She spared him one, very quick, glance before she tossed the garbage into the bin, and picked up her plate of food in one hand, Jeff's in the other.

"Jeff!" she called out, ignoring Derek's hurt stare. "I've got your supper ready, baby. Come in, please."

"Coming, Mommy!" he called back, and she shot her husband one more disappointed look, before nodding towards the one remaining plate on the counter.

"We bought you supper too, you know." was all she said, before carrying the other two plates over to the table, completely ignoring Derek.

Dinner was an akward affair. Jeff seemed to be settling into one of his mopey phases again, which Derek was disappointed to see. The day before had been brutal. According to Casey, the poor kid had been wandering around the house the whole day, bored out of his mind. Derek had been at work until suppertime, and when he got home, Jeff was already crying and saying that he wanted his brother to come back. Casey had been holding him and practically begging him to stop crying, looking as though she wanted to cry herself. Derek had quickly taken over, telling Casey to go down to her computer and get some of her work done, but he had found her an hour later, facefirst into her desk, asleep. He had woken her up and put her to bed right after Jeff, before heading out with Sam and Ralph. He knew that it was very difficult for Casey to turn Jeff away, but that she was struggling between trying to keep Jeff occupied, and catch up on the work that she'd been missing lately.

And it was apparant that today had been no easier on either of his family members. Casey had initially seemed quite grateful that it was Saturday, perhaps thinking that she'd have some of Derek's help with Jeff, but he was ashamed to say that he hadn't been much help. He'd stayed home, leaving her to take their son out for the day.

He had plans to go out later on that night, but he made a mental note to himself to help Casey out with Jeff as much as possible before that.

"How was your day, buddy?" he asked his son, wiping a bit of ketchup from from his chin with a nearby napkin. "Did you have fun at your grandparents?"

Jeff grinned, nodding.

"Tell Daddy what you made." Casey suggested, poking around at her garden salad aimlessly. Derek rolled his eyes. Leave it to Casey to get a salad with a chicken burger. Derek chose to ignore this as he turned back to his son, pretending to be interested in whatever it was he was talking about. The boy took his mothers suggestion, grinning as he spoke up.

"Cookies!" he said, a toothy smile plastered across his face. "Choc'a chip."

"Chocolate chip, Jeff." Casey corrected him, not really caring. Derek glanced over at her, sensing her obvious distraction from the situation. He frowned, before reaching across the table and placing a hand softly on her arm.

"Everything okay, Casey?" he asked, knowing that it was best to ask her this when Jeff was in the room, so she would hold no real threat of getting extremely mad at him. She looked up again, surprised at the physical contact, and the fact that he had even spoken to her. Slowly, she nodded her head, and he was surprised when she didn't pull away from him.

"It's fine." she said, signalling that she wasn't angry with him. This confused Derek. They had been like this on and off for the past week, ever since Jayden had been taken away from them. One of them would say something cruel, usually Derek, and then the other would get angry. They would blatantly ignore one another for a few hours, or else banter back and forth for awhile, before they would silently decide that everything was okay again. But it would only be a few hours before they were fighting again. Derek had been hoping that this would just be a temporary thing, and that there was just alot of tension going on due to the unexpected outcome of the trial, but to his dismay and worry, the fighting was continuing. He wasn't even trying to fight with her, but he had found himself freezing her out more and more. It wasn't a concious attempt, but it was happening.

"You seem awfully quiet." he noted, and watched as she pushed her food around on the plate, but made no attempts whatsoever to eat it. "Casey, eat your food."

She looked up, raising an eyebrow curiously, sounding somewhat offended.

"What am I, two?" she questioned, and Jeff scowled.

"Two's good!" he proclaimed, clearly offended by her statement. She frowned, looking slightly taken aback at her son's reaction, but nonetheless allowed her gaze to turn back to Derek as he gazed at her with concern.

"You're too skinny anyway." he noted, scanning her figure quickly, at which she blushed. "I repeat, eat your food."

She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed, but nodded quickly, taking a small bite of her salad. Derek, somewhat satisfied, returned to his dinner, shoving a french fry into his mouth, and then frowning slightly. He could remember, in detail, the day that him and Jayden had eaten together at McDonalds, during their little trip to London. He remembered how Jayden had mocked him for not knowing the right way to the restauraunt, and how he had later teased him for buying a Happy Meal. He couldn't help but smile a little at the memory of it. It seemed like everything he'd done lately somehow linked back to some sort of memory with Jayden. And quite frankly, he hated that. As much as he wanted to remember everything, memories were painful. They just prolonged his longing for his son back.

When they had cleared up dinner, Derek laid his plate down on the counter next to the others, and Casey offered him a very faint smile, clearly in a better mood than before. He returned the smile, wrapping an arm around her waist, and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She opened her mouth, as though she wanted to say something, but after a moment, Derek had turned and left the room. He left Casey behind, her smile fading very quickly into a hurt pout.

He wasn't there when she gave a defeated sigh, dipping her hands into the sink to clean the dishes. He was upstairs, brooding to himself, as usual. He was only aware of his own pain, and his own feelings.

That was probably the reason that he didn't realize how much he was hurting Casey.

- - - -

At around eight o'clock that evening, after Casey had finished putting Jeff to bed, she walked into hers and Derek's bedroom, glancing around quickly to find him. She quickly spotted him sitting next to the window, staring down at the dark pavement below. His hands were dangling between his knees, and he was half slumped over, not really paying any attention to his surroundings.

She paused in the doorway, unsure of whether or not it was worth it to join him, and risk starting some sort of an argument. She knew it was bound to happen, seeing as it had been happening since the day Jayden left, but she couldn't just avoid talking to him because they were fighting. If she did that, they'd never speak again.

So, preparing herself for a battle, she took a deep breath, and took a step into the room, closing the door behind her. Derek's head turned briefly to acknowledge that she had entered the room, and he gave her a half smile, watching as she went to the closet to search for a sweater.

"Hey." he said as Casey began to look through their sweaters one by one. "What are you doing?"

She glanced over her shoulder at him, giving a tiny shrug.

"Just seeing what you're doing." she said, pulling her old school sweater off of it's hanger, and slipping her arms down through the sleeves. "Everything okay? I thought I heard you up here talking to someone."

He gave a tiny jerk of the head, as though unmoved by her question.

"Everything's fine." he assured her, standing up and making his way towards the closet that she had just closed. "And you heard me talking because I was on the phone."

"Oh yeah?" Casey asked, coming up next to him and taking both of his wrists gently as he reached for the closet door. He turned his head, surprised, and she smiled, placing his hands on her hips for him, before letting go to wrap her arms around his neck. She pressed herself up against him, pushing him to the wall. His eyes were full of a happy sort of surprise; they hadn't really been getting along all that great lately, and that, of course, meant that they hadn't been all that intimate with each other- something that Derek loathed.

"Who were you on the phone with?" she asked, pressing her lips to the base of his neck gently, and burying her face between his shoulders and neck. "Anyone special?" she asked, her voice coming out muffled against his skin.

He pulled her a bit tighter to him, resting his chin on top of her head. He took in the scent of her hair beneath him, and gave a lopsided sort of shrug.

"I was talking to Jayden; he phoned from a payphone." he said, acting as though it was no big deal. He kept his hold on her firm, but it wasn't enough to prevent her body from stiffening as she leaned back a little to look him right in the eye. She had a knowing sort of suspicion in her eye as she spoke.

"Jayden who, Derek?" she asked, already knowing the answer. He blushed, tilting his head to the side. "Do you mean our _son,_ Jayden?"

Derek squirmed uncomfortably, clearly not wanting to make her angry or upset. He had hoped that by avoiding her question, she would merely dismiss it, or else forget it about it. But she continued to stare at him until he realized that he would have to give her some sort of an answer.

"Yeah..." he said slowly, sounding unsure of whether or not she would be angry with him. "That Jayden."

Before Derek could even register what was happening, Casey had pulled herself out of his arms, and was glaring at him with an angry sort of gleam in her eyes.

"How the hell could you do that, Derek?" she asked, her right hand finding it's way to her hip defiantly. "We've already been forbidden to speak to the poor kid. What, do you want to get him in trouble, now?"

"Of course I don't." he started, with the full intention of trying to explain himself, but she would not allow it.

"What if Natalie finds out, huh?" she cried, looking panicky. "What if she reports us, and says that we aren't going by the rules that have been set for us? Not only would Jayden get in trouble, but we would too!"

Derek's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, and realization. How the hell could Casey be worried about getting into trouble, when it involved getting in contact with Jayden?

"I don't care about any of that!" Derek yelled at her, angry now. "Jayden's a part of my family, and if I want to to talk to him, I'm going to damn well talk to him, and no court order or whiny old lady can stand in my way! She's got her money to keep her happy, why the hell does she need to come around and take away the only person who makes me hap-" he trailed off, seeing the hurt look that had just passed over Casey's face. "I mean... _one_ of the only people that make me happy." he corrected, and she relaxed again.

Casey's face had softened considerably, and it was quite clear that she was trying to be rational- that she was trying to let the meaning of Derek's words sink into her mind. After a moment, she nodded slowly, and took a couple of deep breaths, as though attempting to rid herself of any leftover anger.

"I understand where you're coming from." she assured him, nodding. "Really, I do. And I know how you're feeling right now. I totally agree with you; this isn't fair- not at all, but we've got to listen to what they tell us, Derek."

"Since when have we listened to what anyone has told us?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't we spend the better half of our high school years doing what society thinks is wrong? Where were your morals then, huh?"

Confusion flashed through her eyes, and she frowned, taking a step backwards. She suddenly seemed fearful, though Derek could not imagine why.

"Morals, Derek?" she asked, her voice shaking. "So what, you think our relationship is wrong?"

He instantly panicked, and shook his head frantically, taking a step towards her in a desperate attempt to calm her down. The last thing he needed was for another huge argument to break out again. He'd already spent a night on the couch this week; and this time, he hadn't been awoken to kisses and hot chocolate, like he had weeks before when he came back from California.

_"Society_ thinks it's wrong, not me." he assured her, shaking his head. "I've never thought of us as wrong, and we are so lucky that we grew up in a town where the majority of people were accepting. You know just as well as I do that most people accepted us, and that was pure luck." he said, before realizing that he was getting off track. He shook his head dismissively, before taking another step towards her.

"That's completely besides the point, Case." he reminded her, wanting to get back on topic. "All I'm saying, is that we should be allowed to talk to Jayden. We may not have custody anymore, but we should at least be allowed to touch base with him, and see how he's doing!"

"But we're not!" she cried, her voice frustrated and annoyed with Derek's blatant refusal to see past the cold, hard facts. "We're_ not _allowed, Derek, and that's what you need to learn to accept. We can't live through life going by our own set of rules, by what we_ think _we should be allowed to do."

He stared at her for a brief moment, before the old Derek kicked in, and he shook his head, his eyes narrowed angrily at her.

"I don't have to listen to you." he said, superiority creeping into his voice. "I can go by my own rules, thank you very much."

She gaped at him, amazed at his sudden ability to act like such a jerk, but he merely pushed past her, causing her to stumble slightly. She turned, watching as he stormed towards their bedroom door.

"Derek!" she exclaimed, half shocked, half angry. "Derek, wait!"

But he didn't. He grabbed his jacket off of the bed, and, swinging it over his shoulder, he made his way out the door, slamming it in Casey's face behind him.

She slumped down against the wall, shaking slightly. Her and Derek had always been able to put up with so much, as long as they faced it together. It was as if there was no limit to what he was willing to face to be with her, or to keep their family strong.

But, despite how things may seem, everything had it's limits- everyone had their turning points- a line of some sorts that they were not strong enough to cross; and Casey had to believe that Jayden's departure was the one line that Derek was never willing to cross.

But he had; and Casey wasn't so sure what it would take to pull him back.

- - - - -

Nine days. Jayden had been gone for nine, long days. It seemed like an eternity to Derek. Even longer than the trial custody had lasted. He hadn't been able to contact Jayden again at all, something he despised. Jayden had said that he was doing alright, and that he had convinced his grandmother to let him hang out with Logan and the rest of his friends. He said that his friends were keeping him busy, and keeping his mind off of home. But as stable as Jayden claimed he was, Derek didn't believe it. He could take one look at Jayden's facade, and call bullshit. He could see that Jayden was just as miserable as they were- and he was attempting to cover it up with a few cheap laughs with friends.

Casey was pissing Derek off now more than ever. She'd gone on some insane sort of cleaning frenzy the night before, when he'd stormed out on her. He'd gotten home at three o'clock in the morning to find the house practically spotless. He'd found the courage to crawl into bed next to her, but the next morning, he'd been awoken by Casey, who had told him that Jeff wanted to go to the zoo, and if he was comng, he'd better get ready.

And as Derek sat on the couch later that afternoon, dazed in the remainder of his hangover, he couldn't help but wish that he'd gone along with them. Jeff was always fun to take to the zoo, especially when it came to the reptiles. Derek recalled how Jayden, Jeff, and himself, would always freak Casey out by claiming that one of the snakes had gotten loose, and was slithering up right behind her. She'd usually freeze the lot of them out for an hour afterwards, but it was always worth it.

There came a knock at the door, heavy and urgent, and he groaned, tilting his head to the side. The door seemed to far to even attempt getting up to answer it. Casey had probably just forgotten her key. He knew she'd go to the back door after a few minutes, which he knew was open.

But after two minutes of knocking, he gave a frustrated cry, and pulled himself up off of the couch, his fatigue washing over him again. He made his way towards the front door, grumbling to himself about women who couldn't remember keys.

But when he swung the front door open, he was surprised to see that it was Kallie at the door, not Casey. It wasn't exactly weird for Kallie to drop by, because, by now, she was best friends with Casey and Derek. But over the past two weeks or so, her and Cole had practically been strangers to them. They'd dropped by a few times, but hadn't stayed for long. Derek had a feeling that it was due to his own bad hospitality.

Kallie was only about two months pregnant, so it was nearly impossible to tell yet. She was all smiles on that particular evening as she smiled at Derek. Having been arguing with Casey for so long now, he was not accustomed to anyone looking at him, and smiling, unless he were to count the countless chicks in the bars that he went to with Sam and Ralph. Their flirting got a little old, to be quite honest.

"Hey, Derek." she said brightly, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. "Is Case around?"

Derek scratched his forehead, recognizing that Kallie was way too cheerful, even for her. He dismissed this quickly, however, and shook his head, signalling that she wasn't.

"Uh, no." he informed her honestly. "She took Jeff to the zoo a few hours ago. She should be back soon, though."

He expected Kallie to look disappointed, but the smile didn't even fade off of her face as she shrugged absent-mindedly, apparantly not caring.

"Me and her had some plans for this afternoon, but I guess she forgot about it." she said, shrugging. She studied him up and down for a moment, making him feel slightly self-concious. After a moment, her grin brightened, and she gave him an excited look.

"Oh well, you'll do."

With that said, she brushed right past him, making her way into the living room, where a football game was still playing. Derek remained at the door, his eyes only half open, and his hand frozen on the door. She was way too upbeat for him, today. He had barely found the energy it had taken to get dressed- let alone have the sort of energy she had. Shaking his head, he closed the door, before returning to the living room to find Kallie sitting on the couch, spreading a few books out in front of her.

Derek paused in the doorway, raising an eyebrow curiously at the woman. Her blonde hair hid her face from view as she bent over to organize the books and whatnot in front of her. He took a step into the room, frowning slightly.

"Uh, quick question." he said, scratching the base of his neck lightly. She gave him a quick glance to acknowledge that she was listening, before turning her attention back to the items in front of her. "What exactly do you need me for? Because if it's anything girly, you're really going to have to wait for Casey to get back."

She laughed, before grabbing the remote and switching the TV off. Derek frowned at this action, for he had been enjoying the game, even if he wasn't the world's biggest football fan.

"You don't have to be a girl to help me with this." she explained, and he just stood there, staring at her.

Giving an annoyed, yet happy, sigh, she stood up and crossed the room. She grabbed ahold of his hand, before dragging him back over to the couch, and pushing him down onto it. She took a seat next to him, and he glanced in front of him to see some baby books in front of him- some with room design ideas, and others with names.

"Um, Kal, what's this for?" he asked, picking up a baby name book.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and she shook her head in amazement.

"Wow, where have you been for the past two months?" she asked, laughing slightly. "I'm pregnant, remember? Now, I need your help. Well, technically Casey's, but you're going to fill in until she gets back."

"Well what do you need help with?" he asked, not wanting to turn her away unless he had to. She'd been there for him plenty of times, including the night her and Cole had taken Jeff so that Derek could take Casey to the hospital. He almost felt that, as a friend, he owed her.

"Me and Cole wanted to let you and Casey pick out a middle name for the baby." she shrugged, smiling. "I told Casey a few days ago, and we agreed to meet this afternoon, so that she could take a look through a few of the books me and Cole bought." she explained, then frowned. "I told her to tell you. Did she?"

Derek frowned, about to tell Kallie that Casey hadn't told him about it, but he wasn't all that certain. She could've told him. There had been plenty of times that week that he'd just tuned her out. He honestly had no clue if his wife had passed the message along.

He bit his lower lip, unsure of his to answer.

"No, she... I mean, uh... it must have slipped my mind." he offered, and her smile fell a little at his obvious confusion. It only took a few seconds for it to return, however, and she shrugged.

"That doesn't matter." she said, shrugging. "So, come on. We'll look through these, and when Casey comes home, she can help me and you can watch TV again. How does that sound?"

Derek sighed, running a hand through his hair. As much as he cared about Kallie, he wasn't exactly in the mood to pick out any baby names or, by the looks of the other books in front of him, furniture.

"You know, Casey will be home really soon." he informed her, blowing out a slow, but patient, breath. "Maybe you could just wait for her to get here."

Kallie pouted, grabbing ahold of his wrist pleadingly.

"Please, Derek?" she asked, using her best begging voice that he knew she used on Cole all the time. It was the same one Casey often used on him. He groaned, tilting his head back against the back of the couch.

"Come on, Kal." he said, annoyed. "I'm watching the football game."

She let go of his wrist, scowling.

"You don't even like football." she said, shaking her head. "-and you suck at making excuses. Now come on."

He sighed, defeated, and grabbed one of the baby name books in front of him, flipping it open to some random page, scanning through a few different names, and their meanings.

"What am I looking for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Boy or girl?"

"If we knew that yet, I'd be out shopping." she said, rolling her eyes. "Look for both, or a unisex name. It doesn't matter. We just need a few suggestions. We don't need anything today. Just... if you see anything you like..."

"I'll tell you." he said, flipping through a few more pages. "So, how's life?"

Kallie shrugged, leaning back against the arm of the couch with a furniture book in her hands. She skimmed through it lazily, not paying it any real attention.

"It's really good, actually." she said, a tiny smile on her face. He gazed at her for a moment, noting the dreamy look in her eyes, but he shook it off. "I mean, me and Cole are doing great, we've got a baby on the way... life couldn't really get much better for us, at this point."

Derek bit his lip in envy, wishing with all of his heart that his life was going that well. He wished he could brag of the same level of happiness; but he couldn't. Kallie seemed to sense that Derek was a bit jealous, and frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry." she said quickly, blushing. "I know you and Casey are going through a rough patch right now. You've both been dealt a really bad hand, but believe me when I say that it can only get better from here."

Derek gave a disbelieving sort of laugh, one that Kallie caught onto very quickly. She nodded, signalling that she believed in her own words.

"I'm serious, Derek." she said, sounding entirely stern. "You guys will pick up the pieces again."

"Our kid's gone, Kallie." he reminded her, shaking his head. "Do you know how hard that is? How would you like it, if the second that baby was born, someone came along and snatched it away from you?" he said, and he paused, thinking for a moment. "Better yet, give yourself four years to get to know it, and _then _have someone snatch it away from you. Then tell me I can pick up the pieces again."

His eyes returned to the book in front of him, and Kallie bit her lip, placing her hand subconciously over her stomach.

"I guess you're right." she finally said, sighing. "That can't be easy; not at all."

Derek chose not to answer her. He scanned through the pages until he reached the C's, and he glanced down through the list for Casey's name. When he found it, he rested the pad of his thumb against it to keep his place, and read through the different meanings associated with her name.

_Casey : Origins: English, Gaelic, Irish, Spanish- meanings: peaceful, brave, observant, alert, strong, honorable _

He couldn't help but smile. That was Casey. Honorable? He could remember, in detail, how upset she had been in high school when he had switched their tests. Sure, she had lied to get a makeup test, but that was more under Derek's influence than anything else. Her observance and ability to be alert had kept her on her feet during the years they had spent fighting with each other, when they had first been forced to live together under one roof. She had managed to outwit him at his own game several times, as much as he hated admitting it. Peaceful; that defined her, too. Sure, she fought with him, seeing as that was the aspect of their relationship that kept them interesting together. But generally, she was a very peaceful person. He always found her burying her face into his shoulder during any graphic scenes in movies, and she had managed to break up several little fights between their boys over the past few years.

Brave and strong was what really hit Derek as amazing traits to describe Casey, for she was the bravest and strongest person he knew. She had put up with more than anyone should have to, mainly because of him. Their relationship had taken four years to resurface, and he'd done so much to her, that he was surpised she'd even taken him back. He'd cheated on her, gotten her pregnant and left her without explanation, and then he'd let their family fall apart like this. Yet she was taking everything with so much grace and dignity that he had to respect her for it.

He flipped over a few pages to find the next letter of the alphabet. Finding it, he almost laughed. There was only two definitions for his own name. Interested, he read on;

_Derek: Origins: English - Meanings: Gifted ruler, Ruler of the people_

He frowned slightly, not exactly satisified with the meaning of his own name. Back in high school, that would've fitted him entirely. And up until the moment the judge's decision had been announced, he rather felt it had suited him perfectly. But now, he felt like he was no sort of leader at all. He'd let his family fall apart, and what kind of leader was that? He felt like he'd failed as leader of his family, and that was something he'd never fully forgive himself for.

"Derek?" she asked, as he flipped back to the page where Casey's name was, as his thumb had been holding the page in place. He glanced up, dazed for a moment, and shook his head as though shaking out of a trance.

"Sorry." he said, and she glanced down at what he was reading, softening instantly.

"Someone on your mind?" she asked knowingly, placing her hand over his to close the book. He sighed, looking back up at her sadly.

"It's that obvious, huh?" he sighed, opening the book back up again, despite himself. He deliberately flipped to some random page in the middle of the book before glancing back up at Kallie.

"We've just been fighting so much lately."

"I know." she said. "Casey told me."

"She's been... talking to you about it?" he asked, wondering it this meant that she too, knew how unstable their relationship was. "What does she say?"

Kallie laughed lightly, shaking her head to indicate that she couldn't tell him. His face fell, and he returned his gaze back down to the book, scanning through the names one by one.

"I can't tell you that." she said, and he frowned.

"How do you feel about Nathan, for a boy?" he asked, ignoring her.

"Ask Casey, we're leaving it up to you." she said dismissively, waving her hand. "But you're not listening to me. If anyone needs to talk to Casey, it's you."

"Katherine, for a girl?" he questioned, pulling his best thinking face. "Hey, there's three spellings of that! That's sort of cool, huh?"

"Be serious." she said, jabbing his leg with her foot. "You're asking me how Casey feels. I think you're sort of proving a point, here. If you don't even know how she's feeling, then you have a long way to go, my friend."

"Hailey? A girl's name, obviously." he said, shrugging. "By the way, you're not interesting me with your lecture."

Kallie sighed, clearly annoyed, and within a moment, she had tossed her furniture book onto the coffee table, and sat up straight, her arms propped up behind her.

"How's this for interesting?" she cried, frustrated. "You're single-handedly ruining your relationship with Casey, and you're acting like you don't even care, when deep down, you know that couldn't be further from the truth. This is killing you, and you're too damn headstrong to admit it."

His mouth formed a little 'o' shape, as he peeked over at her from over the top of his book, taken aback by her sudden rant. He hadn't even had the time to think up a coherant response, when she had rushed on,

looking as though she just wanted to get everything out in the open.

"And if you really want interesting, I think you should know that Cole proposed to me last night." she finished, letting out a deep breath. Derek nearly choked over his own breath, and a small smile came over Kallie's face, brightening her features. "Well now I feel much better. It really is great to be totally and completely honest, isn't it?"

Derek's eyes were wide, and his jaw had practically dropped down to the floor in shock. He wasn't sure why he was so surpised. He should've seen this coming. Cole was madly in love with Kallie, and they were, after all, having a baby together in just seven months. It seemed only natural that they take the next step and get married, like Casey and Derek had shortly after Jeff's birth.

He finally managed to piece together enough thought to form a mildly coherant sentence.

"He... Cole, _what_?" he got out, still a bit in shock. "When did he... how... did you say yes?"

Kallie nodded, raising up her hand to show off a beautiful ring that now sat upon her finger- one that had never been there before.

"Of course I said yes. Why wouldn't I?" she asked, laughing slightly. "I love Cole, and I've known for a long time that this was coming. We're going to get married next summer, once the baby is born and everything is settled away again."

Derek managed to give her a half-smile, nodding his head slowly.

"Congrats, Kallie." he said, his tone articulate and genuine. "If anyone deserves this sort of happiness, it's you two. I'm really happy for you guys."

Kallie smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck in a quick hug. Derek smiled his first real smile in days as he returned his hug. He'd grown quite close with both Kallie and Cole over the years, and he could look past his jealousy and be happy for them.

At that moment, he heard the front door shut, and the next second, Casey had walked into the living room, holding a couple of grocery bags in her hands. Derek heard Jeff run straight for the stairs, and knew instantly that Casey must have bought him a new toy. That was the only time that he would skip greeting his father when he got home.

Casey looked absolutely exhausted. Her face was a little bit paler than usual, and her eyes were tired looking. She was vaguely slumped over as she dropped the bags onto the floor, watching as Kallie pulled back from Derek, resuming her spot on the foot of the couch. She offered Casey a half smile, waving as she picked up her book again.

"Hey, Case." she said to her friend, watching as Casey crossed the room and took a seat on the arm of the couch. "Have fun?"

Casey shrugged one shoulder carelessly as Derek laid a cautious hand on her thigh, unsure of whether or not he'd let him keep it there. She stiffened beneath his touch, and he had a feeling that Kallie's presence was all that kept her from pulling away from him.

"We went to the zoo, and then dropped into Lizzie and Edwin's for awhile." she shrugged carelessly. "I had to pick up a few things on the way home, but that was about it. What are you two doing?"

"Picking out a middle name for the baby." she said, grinning. "You remember? By the way, I thought you were going to tell Derek about that."

Casey cast an annoyed glance at her husband, who blushed under the anguish in her eyes.

"I did, but I doubt he was listening to me." she said bitterly, her eyes locked with his as he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. "He usually doesn't, these days."

"Casey, I-" he started, but Casey was cut off when she caught sight of the engagement ring on Kallie's finger. She gasped, her eyes going wide with shock. She pushed Derek's hand away, jumping up and darting over to her friend.

"Kallie, did he-"

Kallie squealed, clearly quite more excited over this news now that she had another girl to share the news with. Derek rolled his eyes. Girls always had to squeal over things like this. They couldn't just high-five, or grin, like normal human beings. Kallie nodded, excited.

"Yeah, he proposed last night!" she informed her, showing off her ring. "We went out to dinner, and-"

"Ooohhh, come into the kitchen and tell me." she said, grabbing Kallie's hand excitedly. "I'll make us something quick to eat, and then you can call Cole and invite him over for supper later. I need to see him, and then yell at him for not telling me."

Kallie laughed, before getting up, and happily allowing Casey to drag her into the kitchen. Derek watched them both go, before falling back against the couch, rolling his eyes. She just _had_ to notice that ring. It was like the spark that set off all the girl-talk about weddings and whatnot. Why did she have to notice all the small things like a ring?

He groaned, picking up the baby book again, and glaring at it.

"Observant," he noted, his voice annoyed. "Nora just _had_ to name her daughter Casey!"

With that, he flicked the book down against the coffee table, and flopped down onto his back.

* * *

**Voila, le chapter. :) Anyways, review please, and I will update soon. **


	26. Day by Day Outcomes

**To explain some of Casey's logic behind getting angry with Derek; yes, she does love Jayden, but she doesn't want Derek encouraging Jayden to break the rules that have been set for them by allowing contact to continue. She knows how Natalie can be, and she does not want Jayden to get on his grandmother's bad side because of them. Just thought I'd clear that up, since a few of you seemed a bit confused by her actions.**

**Anyway, Derek is a bit of a jerk in this chapter, as you'll see once you read it. Review, please. **

**Disclaimer: I continue to own absolutely nothing. **

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Day by Day Outcomes**

"You are such a... ugh! I can't believe you... agh! And you never even had the nerve to tell me!" Casey cried, smacking Cole violently on the shoulder. He cringed, and rubbed the affected area, pouting.

"What has this shoulder ever done to you, Case?" he asked, all the while laughing at her. "Really, you're awful. Not to mention abusive."

"And I've gotta live with her." Derek called over his shoulder as he carried a few bowls to the table. He ducked to avoid being hit by Casey's other hand as he darted past her, grinning. "Missed me, missed me. Now you gotta kiss me." he said, coming up in front of her and smirking. He leaned forwards expectantly, trying with all of his might to make the exsisting tension between the two of them disappear. He had been trying to do so all afternoon, not to mention evening, and so far, it was working. They hadn't exactly argued, though they hadn't exactly gotten along, either. He kept making playful little remarks like the one he had just made, in hopes that she would warm up to him a little bit.

It was apparant that it was not working. She rolled her eyes, pressing a hand against his chest, and pushing him up off of her as gently as possible. He stumbled, seeing as he _had_ taken in a drink or two before dinner.

"I'm trying to get dinner ready, Derek." was all she said, before brushing past him. Derek frowned, his heart clenching painfully. He stole a glance at Cole, who gave him a sympathetic look as he gathered some plates from the cupboard.

Kallie, too, noticed the tension, for she bit her lower lip, attempting to find a new topic for them to discuss.

"So, um, Casey..." she started, arranging the forks on the table next to each plate. "Is Jeff staying at your sister's house tonight?"

Casey nodded as she turned the left burner off on the stove. Lizzie had come along to pick up Jeff about an hour before, since Casey had wanted a chance to celebrate Kallie and Cole's engagement. As much as they all loved the whacky little toddler, he sort of had a habit of being a downer at an all-adults party. He'd been more than happy to spend the night with his aunt and uncle, and was now probably eating about ten pounds of sugar that Casey would have to put up with the next day, since Derek would be at work.

"Yeah, Liz will drop him off tomorrow morning." she said, as she scooped the lasagna onto the plates, one spoonful at a time. She felt Derek come up behind her, placing his hands on her hips. She turned her head slightly to look at her husband. "Derek, can you take up some salad?"

He frowned at her obvious attempts to get rid of him, but nodded, leaning over her shoulder to kiss her cheek quickly.

"Sure thing, baby." he said, shrugging, his words slightly slurred. "No problem."

He spun around to grab the bowls that he had placed down on the table only moments before, and within five minutes, the four of them were seated around the table, the lights above them dimmed slightly (Kallie's work) in a very subtle attempt to create a 'romantic' atmosphere, which Derek couldn't help but feel she wanted to spark between Casey and Derek. Her and Cole already had enough romance going on. Derek kept mentally referring to the looks that the two of them kept sharing as 'eye-sex'.

But even Derek couldn't help but feel the bitterness and tension between him and his wife. The more he tried, the more she'd shove him away, and he couldn't say he blamed her. His attempts, however kind-hearted they may seem, were nothing more than a last-ditch effort to regain some temporary peace between the two of them, and they both knew it. It wasn't like he was making any huge attempts to stabalize their marriage. Kissing her and offering to help with dinner wasn't what she wanted from him. She wanted him to be consistantly active in helping her out with Jeff, and with the house. She wanted him to tell her she was loved more than he did. She wanted the emotional aspect of their relationship to return.

But it was Derek's pain that was blinding him from all that. He didn't know she wanted any of this, or if he did, it was subconciously. He had initially thought that it could all be fixed with a few kisses and pretty sounding words, but it was becoming quite clear that it couldn't.

All throughout dinner, Kallie and Cole kept bringing up some topics that usually got Casey or Derek to engage in some flirty banter, or tell a story or two from high school. But today, nothing worked. They would simply laugh slightly, or nod in agreement with whatever their friends were saying. For Casey, it was just bitterness that kept her from speaking up. For Derek, it was the fact that he was half drunk, and didn't want the whole table to know it.

It was only when Casey picked up her plate and wandered into the kitchen to get more salad did Derek realize she wasn't wearing her wedding ring, anymore.

He could feel his heart practically beating out of his chest as he excused himself, and got up from the table, going into the kitchen stand next to her at the stove. He kept his tone hushed, even though he knew that Cole and Kallie were talking amongst themselves in the dining room, and would not hear a word he said.

"Wow. The end of summer really brings out some new trends, doesn't it?" he asked, a cold edge to his voice as he leaned against the counter. "You know, Uggs are everywhere you look, Baby Phat is the scent du jour, and wearing wedding rings is apparantly out of style for someone of your calibre."

Casey drew in a sharp breath at his words, before allowing her eyes to dart down to her hand where, indeed, there was no ring. She remained silent as she slowly used the salad tongs to take up a second helping of salad. Derek watched her nervously, his face paling entirely as he realized that she was making a concious decision not to answer him.

But to Derek, this was not good enough, and he was not going to take her silence as any sort of acceptable answer.

"Where's your wedding ring, Casey?" he asked her, his tone nervous, yet angry, all at once. She still did not answer, and he felt his anger growing stronger. "Answer me."

When she still didn't answer, he snapped, reaching forwards and yanking the salad tongs from her hands, throwing it down against the countertop violently. She jumped at his actions, and he seized both of her wrists tightly in his hand, squeezing hard.

"I _hate_ it when you don't fucking answer me." he growled, pulling her closer. Close enough to see the pain in her eyes, but not aware enough to give a damn. She averted her gaze from his, apparantly shocked by his sudden violence.

"I... I took it off to do something yesterday." she stammered, sounding scared. "Th-That's all. Can you please let me go?"

"Why didn't you put it back on when you finished?" he asked, his eyes narrowed into slits as he ignored her request. She bit her lip, ashamed, and he practically shook her her. "I thought I told you I hate it when you ignore me!"

"You were drinking before dinner, weren't you?" she asked quietly, already knowing the answer. He growled angrily, and her eyes flashed with fear. "Forget I asked."

"I had one...two... three tops, is it that big of a deal?" he asked, his tone harsh, and his grip bruising. "Now, I want you to stop changing the subject, and answer my-"

"I forgot, okay?" she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "Now can you please let my wrists go? You're... You're hurting me."

Shock washed over her as she spoke the words, and she frowned, almost as though she could barely believe how much he was changing, and some sense of realization hit Derek. His eyes scanned her features for a moment, before he released his hold on her. He had been holding her so tightly, that she had been depending solely on his grip for support, and she lost balance, stumbling back against the counter. Derek turned around, running his hand through his hair as he blew out a slow breath. Casey caught herself on the edge of the counter, watching his back nervously, as though terrified that he would turn around and yell at her again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Derek saw Cole standing, frozen, in the doorway, worry etched across his features. When he realized that Derek had seen him, he blushed furiously, taking a step into the room. He cleared his throat pointedly, his eyes fixed solely on Casey, concerned for her well-being.

"Everything okay in here?" he asked, knowing full well that everything was far from okay.

Derek put on a casual expression, nodding his head to indicate that everything was fine. He gave Cole a reassuring look, before slipping his arm around Casey's waist. Instantly, he felt the shift in their relationship. Something in the way he had just acted had changed their tension entirely. It was still there, but it was entirely different. It was no longer Derek acting like a jerk, and Casey freezing him out because of it. It was Derek being an asshole, and Casey being too afraid to freeze him out. It was a new sense of power for Derek, one that he hadn't meant to acheive. In fact, he wasn't even really aware of what he'd just done. When he got too angry, his body often acted of it's own accord, and it was like there was nothing he could do to prevent that.

"Everything's fine, isn't it, Casey?" he asked, holding her closer.

She gave Cole a look that signalled everything wasn't fine, and that Derek's drunken behaviour was scaring her. Cole caught sight of this, and cringed, but, seeing the look that Derek was giving her, Casey nodded, telling a blatant lie.

"It's fine." she got out meekly, and Cole squinted at her, unsure of her mixed messages.

"Are you sure, Case?" he asked, giving Derek a suspicious look.

She glanced up at her husband, and saw that he had softened entirely during the ten seconds it had taken her to answer Cole. It was now clear to her that his violence while drunk was no different from any other mood swing that he had when he drank. It was there one second, gone the next; literally. She could see the love that was in his eyes, and she felt slightly more reassured that his violence had just been a spur of the moment, drunken, thing. She drew in a deep breath, relaxing.

"Yeah." she said, more confidently this time. "It's fine. Go back to Kallie. We'll be back in a minute."

Cole appeared to be extremely hesitant and cautious to leave Casey there, but she gave him one last nod, and he gave up, allowing his shoulders to slump in defeat. He grabbed whatever it was he had come in for, and turned to leave, casting the couple one more saddened look behind him.

Casey glanced up at Derek, half worried that his calm front had just been an act for Cole, but within a moment, he had taken her lovingly in his arms, kissing her forehead lightly.

"He's so overprotective, isn't he?" he laughed, as Casey relaxed into his arms. "He always thinks there's something wrong. What? Does he think I'd hurt you, or something?"

He laughed bitterly at the thought, and Casey bit back the irresistable urge to say 'you just did'. She dismissed his one moment of weakness and violence as a mistake. He really didn't appear to be aware of what he'd done to her, which led her to believe that it had been nothing more than an accident. She chose to give him the benefit of the doubt, and smiled back at him, though it was shaky.

"I know you wouldn't try to hurt me." she said, putting emphasis on the word 'try'. Her voice was quiet, and filled with an insecurity that she had never felt before. If Derek could recognize emotion, at the time, he would've felt bad that he'd done that to her. But he barely even heard it.

"I want you to go put your ring back on, okay?" he said, kissing her hand gently. "Wouldn't want any other guys to think you're available, now, would we?"

Casey managed a tiny smile, shaking her head no.

"We can't have that." she agrreed, just happy to be getting along with him. "I'll put it on after dinner, okay?"

She went to move out of his arms and make her way back towards the dining room, but within a moment, his eyes had flashed with the same sort of anger as before, though he didn't appear to be all that angry. He pulled her back to him, clutching her wrist in his hand. His grip was not violent this time, but more demanding and urgent.

"I think you should put it on now, before you forget." he said, his eyes scanning hers, and it was clear to her then that he'd had way more than three drinks. She was wondering how the hell she hadn't noticed it throughout dinner, but then realized that, since neither of them had really been speaking, she wouldn't had a chance to notice. She even found it weird that he was managing not to stumble around as much as he usually did, but figured that either he hadn't had enough to be losing too much balance, or that he was becoming so tolerant of the alcohol that it was taking more and more to affect him. She vaguely remembered him disappearing to the basement for awhile while she had been cooking dinner, and made a mental note to keep an eye on him more often.

"I won't forget, okay?" she asked, even though she really had taken off the ring on purpose. She'd just been so angry with him when he'd stormed out on her the night before. "I promise, the second Cole and Kallie leave, I'll-"

"Casey." he repeated, holding her gaze as his grip tightened slightly. "Go put it back on, please."

She couldn't tell whether or not he was angry, or just desperate for a sign of reassurance, but nonetheless, when she looked up again, Cole was walking back into the kitchen. He was trying to act casual, as though he had a reason to be there, but Casey knew full well that his only purpose was to check on Casey. Derek scowled at his friend's actions, rolling his eyes as he turned around, stumbling slightly as he did so.

"Do you have something against privacy?" he snapped angrily, glaring at Cole, who's worry only grew stronger. Cole watched the two of them for a moment, before extending a hand to Casey.

"Come here, Case." he said, and she darted forwards, eager to get out of Derek's drunken shadow. She grabbed onto his hand as though it were a lifeline, and cast Derek one more disappointed and frightened glance. Cole squeezed her hand gently, trying to calm her down. She hadn't realized until then that she was shaking. Cole gave Derek a stern look, as though ashamed of him.

"Casey, why don't you come back in with me and Kallie?" he asked, his eyes locked with Derek's, but his concern for the girl in front of him shining through. "I think she's got a few names to run past you." he lied, and Casey nodded, not caring if what he said was total bullshit. She just wanted to leave that room. He focused more obviously on Derek then, frowning. "D, I think you should go to sleep." he suggested, frowning. "I think you've had more than enough to drink tonight, and it's not doing anyone any good for you to be, uh, stumbling around or whatever, is it?"

Derek stared at his friend for a moment, before shaking his head, and taking Casey's hand from Cole, planting it firmly in his own. He pulled her back to him, and her sense of security immediately dissolved.

"I don't need any sleep, Cole." he said defensively, shaking his head. "And I most certainly don't need to be bossed around in my own home. Now come on, Casey. Let's go finish our dinner."

All thoughts of the wedding ring forgotten, he stumbled towards the doorway again, practically dragging her along with him. He collapsed into his chair again, and Casey quickly took her own seat, her eyes fixed solely upon the plate in front of her. She took small, careful bites, avoiding everyone's gaze as she ate.

And that was the beginning of what would be a very long and tiring battle. Because, for Casey, that marked the night when Derek finally changed- for the worse. That was the night when he began to shut her out for good.

- - - -

"Jeff, turn down the TV!" Derek called from his spot at the kitchen table. The cartoons from the living room ceased to be silent, and he rolled his eyes. "Jeff, I'm being serious. Your mother is trying to work, downstairs. She doesn't need your cartoons blasting in her eardrums."

"It's fine, Derek." he heard Casey call up over the stairs, attempting to reassure him. "He isn't distracting me."

Derek scowled at Casey's denial, before rolling his eyes and leaning in even further over the sports magazine he was attempting to read, but having no productive luck.

"Well he's sure as hell distracting me." he muttered, annoyed. There was an explosion from the cartoon that Jeff was watching, and he clenched his fists, realizing that he'd read the same sentence over about seven times now. The edge of his magazine was instantly crushed between his fist, and he cursed silently, realizing that he was only destroying his own property.

"Jeff, I mean it." he called again. "Turn down the TV."

Jeff merely laughed, and did nothing of the sorts. Derek attempted to cover his ears, but a moment later, one of those stupid background songs started up, and he groaned, before pushing back his chair and storming into the living room. His eyes fell upon Jeff, who was lying flat on his stomach on the couch, kicking his legs happily behind him. The remote was sitting in front of him, where Casey had left it for him, and Derek immediately crossed the room, snatching it up.

"I told you about five times to turn this damn thing down." he said, putting the volume down to an extreme low. Jeff pouted at him, and Derek shook his head. "I'm not in the mood, Jeff. Don't pout at me."

"Soccer?" Jeff asked hopefully, clambering onto his knees and lifting his arms up for his father to lift him. Derek studied the boy for a moment, before shaking his head at him.

"I don't want to play soccer right now, Jeff." he said, taking a step backwards. "Maybe some other time."

Jeff's lower lip quivered, and Derek was almost certain he was about to have one of his little hissyfits, so he turned and walked away. When he rounded the corner, Casey was standing there, apparantly having been observing the situation before her. He paused long enough to look her in the eye, and she gave him a disappointed sort of look, shaking her head in disgust.

Derek rolled his eyes at her, thinking to himself that everyone in his house needed a mood adjustment. Was he the only one that knew how to get along by himself?

"Don't give me that look." he said to her, as she continued to stare at him. "What?"

She glanced at him, and then at the upset look on their son's face, and shook her head again, clearly disgusted by his actions.

"Nice, Derek." was all she could come up with, shoving past him angily. "Real nice." She stormed across the living room, turning only to say one more thing to him. "And by the way, don't curse around our son. Just because you've got anger issues, doesn't mean he needs to develop the same dirty habits. He's two for God's sakes."

Derek stared after her, watching as she scooped their son up into her arms, and attempting to cheer him up by swaying slightly on the spot.

"Do you want to go outside, baby?" she asked him softly, combing her hand through his sandy brown hair. "Maybe there's some kids down at the playground that will play soccer with you."

Jeff still did not seem entirely reassured, and the pout remained on his lips as Casey cradled him against his chest, trying to soothe him. He shook his head, his eyes fixed on Derek, who found guilt floating over him miserably. He wasn't trying to be a jerk to either Casey, or Jeff. But lately, that was the only character trait that he could think of to describe himself.

He took a step back into the living room, wanting to make up for how upset he'd just made his son. He shakily walked towards his wife and son, offering a tiny smile towards the young boy. Casey shot him a cautious look as Derek bit his lower lip, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Let me take him." he said, giving her a hopeful look. "Please? You've got some work to do anyway, remember?"

She looked extremely hesitant, but after a moment, her reluctance was outweighed by her realization that she had to get some work done. She had barely done anything throughout the duration of the custody battle, and it was definitely catching up to her. Sighing, she handed Jeff over to Derek, giving him a stern look.

"Keep an eye on him." she said, following them out to the porch, her voice filled with caution. "Don't let him go near the road, make sure he doesn't wander away from-"

"Casey!" Derek cried, turning around quickly as he placed Jeff down on the floor. "I've taken the kid to the park, what? Hundreds of times? Have I ever lost him, or let him get hit by a car?"

Casey shook her head, biting her lip slowly.

"Well, no, but..."

"Then trust me." he said, rolling his eyes. "Jeff will be just fine. We'll be home for dinner in about an hour, alright?"

With that, he gave her a very small kiss on the cheek, and grabbed Jeff's jacket from the closet. He slipped it onto the boy, zipping it up quickly, before helping him into his shoes, and picking him up again.

With nothing left to say, they made their way out the door, Casey watching nervously after them. Derek caught sight of the look on her face right before he closed the door, and for a brief moment, he recognized a very strange emotion on Casey's face. It was mistrust- something that Derek had never imagined he would be treated with around his own son, especially by Casey.

- - - -

"Five minutes!" Jeff kept chanting, all the way back to their house. "Pleaseeee?"

Derek chuckled, shaking his head no for what felt like the billionth time since they'd left the house fifty minutes ago.

"Nuh-uh." he said, shifting Jeff in his arms so that he was resting on his right hip. "I've gone back four times now to give you five more minutes. My guilt only goes so far. You've gotta go home for dinner, or else your mother will think someone kidnapped you."

"Kidnap?" Jeff asked, confusion etched all over his face. Derek sighed, reminding himself not to use big words with a two year old.

"Never mind." he said, as they approached their driveway. "Just go inside, and don't you dare mention that you nearly fell off the monkey bars. I sort of enjoy being in once piece."

Jeff gave a laugh, before Derek pulled open the screen door, allowing his son to run inside before him. He followed quickly, kicking his shoes off towards the closet, right next to Jeff's, who was somehow already long gone. He made his way into the kitchen to find Casey standing over the stove, her elbows propped up against the counter. She had a recipe book open in front of her, and there was some sort of food cooking on the burner closest to her.

He smirked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms quickly around her waist, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder. She gave a little jump, and her finger brushed against the burner quickly. She cursed under her breath, glancing behind her to see her husband standing there, looking a bit guilty. He grinned sheepishly, in a strangely good mood for some reason.

"Sorry." he whispered into her ear, kissing the side of her neck gently. He wasn't sure if it was embarassment, or the shock that he was actually being nice that caused her to smile back at him, and place her hands on top of his, shaking her head.

"It's alright." she assured him, shrugging. "You know me, I've always been a bit of a klutz, right?"

"You most certainly have." he agreed, ignoring how she attempted to smack his arm. He grinned, leaning over to see what she was making, but found he couldn't lean over far enough. He frowned, inhaling deeply.

"What's cooking?" he asked, interested. "It smells good."

She gave a tiny laugh as his cheek nuzzled hers softly, his arms squeezing her body closer against his chest. Her laughter sent vibrations through his chest and he smiled as she answered.

"Chicken stirfry, and noodles." she said, shrugging. "It was the best I could come up with. I need to go grocery shopping later. Speaking of which, do you want to come?"

Derek winced; they were getting along at that moment, and he knew that the only way to keep it like that was to agree with her, and say that he'd love to go along. But, like almost every other night since Jayden had left fourteen days ago, Derek had plans. He knew that Casey was probably getting sick of having to spend the nights by herself, but he really couldn't help it. When he didn't go out and drink, he stayed home and did it, and Casey hated that even more than she hated him leaving. So he spent most nights out with the guys, having a few drinks, and a few cheap laughs that would help him to temporarily forget about all of the problems in his life, even if it was only for a few hours.

"I've sort of got some plans, actually." he said, shrugging, and hoping that she wouldn't get mad. "I told a few of the guys that I'd go out with them for a bit."

Casey immediately frowned, her body stiffening slightly in his arms. He tightened his hold on her, not wanting her to pull away, but, much to his surprise, she stayed where she was.

"Haven't you gone out for the past five nights, now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged, nodding, and she pouted. "Would it kill you to stay home for one night?"

He gripped her hips gently, turning her around to face him, and he leaned down, brushing his lips against hers as softly as possible. It occured to him that, other than kissing her on the cheek or the neck, that millisecond peck had been their first real kiss in two days. And to Derek, that was pretty pathetic.

"You know I love spending time with you, Case." he said, sounding as though he was determined to get his own way. "But I've got to hang out with my friends, too."

Casey shook her head, not willing to accept this as an answer. He felt his heart drop as he realized that she was going to argue with him on this.

"You can spend time with your friends, Derek. I'm not saying that you can't." she assured him, frowning slightly. "But you need to spend time with your family, too. I'm not trying to sound selfish, or needy, but... we haven't spent time together in like, ten days, unless you count having dinner together with Cole and Kallie."

Derek gently rubbed his right hand up and down her side, pressing his forehead to hers and shaking his head.

"We're spending time together right now, aren't we?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyebrows scrunched together in apparant disappointment, and she shook her head, looking slightly put out.

"Hanging out next to a stove while supper is cooking hardly counts as spending time together." she informed him, watching as he let out an annoyed sigh. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her, in a desperate attempt to convince him to stay.

"Come on, Derek." she said, smiling gently at him as she situated herself practically between his legs. "Spend one night at home; it won't kill you. After Jeff goes to bed, we can make something to eat, curl up on the couch and watch a movie... among _other_ things..." she said, tracing one of her fingers underneath his chin, and down his neck. She pouted slightly, before lowering her lips onto his, using her grip on the back of his neck to pull him even closer. He kissed her back, trying to make up for their lack of intimacy lately. She poured all of her emotion into it, praying that when they pulled apart, he would be willing to stay.

But when he finally pulled away from her, his eyes had as much resolve and determination in them as they had only moments before. He shook his head, signalling that he couldn't go.

"I already said I'd go." he told her, and hurt flashed across her features. "Maybe you'll still be awake when I get home."

Casey looked away, biting back the urge to speak her mind. She wanted to tell him that she probably wouldn't be awake when he got home, because he was never home until two or three in the morning. She wanted to tell him that she didn't even want to be awake when he got home, because he terrified her when he was drunk. His anger was a new thing to her, and it was something she had not willingly tested since that night in the kitchen. She was scared to know what he was capable of, and she found herself thinking more and more each day that maybe she'd been wrong, in the courtroom. Maybe he did have the potential to be violent.

But for now, she merely nodded her head, glancing away.

"It's fine." she reassured him quietly, her voice pitiful. "You can go out with your friends. I'll be fine."

Derek sensed her dishonesty, and frowned, tilting her chin up towards him.

"It doesn't sound like it's fine." he noted, raising an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me."

She glanced up quickly, half afraid that this statement was one of demand and anger, and that he was going to get rough, but she was relieved to see that there was only confusion and sadness in his eyes.

"It's not a big deal, Case." he said, shaking his head. "How's this? We'll hang out tomorrow night. I'll stay home, we can rent a movie, order dinner... didn't Dad and Nora say they wanted to take Jeff for a night?"

She couldn't help but smile at the look he was giving her when he tilted her chin up towards him. She blushed, trying to avoid his gaze. She knew that he'd see just how much she needed a night like that.

"Maybe." she offered, shrugging slightly.

But he had seen the tiny smile upon her lips, and he grinned, ruffling her hair gently as he realized that she was accepting his offer.

"It's a date, you fool." he said, before letting her go, and reaching around her to switch off the stove. "Now put some food on a plate, and let's eat. I'm starved."

She couldn't help but laugh slightly as Derek grinned, and made his way towards the stairs to retrieve their son. She knew for certain that his good mood would not last. His good moods never lasted, these days. He'd be nice to her for a night or so, make promises, and then forget about them. But there had been a softness to his voice that made her hope that maybe, just maybe, she'd get some alone time with him, for a change.

Maybe he'd remember this time. She hoped that he would, because at this point, their relationship practically depended on their day by day outcome.

* * *

**So Derek is a bit of a jerk in this chapter, as you probably noticed. Anyway, after this chapter, the timeline will skip ahead a little bit. Not too far, just about two weeks. There is a purpose to it, mainly because nothing significant will happen during that period, and it would be pointless to make up events that will not contribute to the plot whatsoever. Anyway, I don't think I'll have a chance to update tomorrow, because I will be gone from 7am-11pm, but review and I will try to update on Friday. **


	27. Broken Home

**Voila, a new chapter. I worked very hard yesterday, and in every moment I have had since I got off work an hour and a half ago, to bring you this chapter! I haven't even gotten around to eating yet, feel gifted, lol! Anyways, here's a new chapter, and I will probably update tomorrow ( more information at the bottom ! ) Anyways, review! By the way, I'm figuring this will need roughly 34 chapters. It could be slightly less, but I have alot of plots and subplots to tie up, and I don't want to rush them. Anyways, hope that's okay. There's alot of cursing in this chapter, so be forewarned if that offends you. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Broken Home**

The first month of the Venturi's lives without Jayden was coming to an end, and Casey would be the first to admit that it had not been an easy month on any of them. Casey herself kept on forgetting that he was gone in the first place, and would wind up setting an extra place for him at dinner, or would go into his room when she was doing laundry, like she had before.

Jeff, too young to properly understand what was happening, didn't quite grasp why his older brother wasn't around anymore. The first week or two had been okay, considering that Jayden had already spent two weeks in California a little while before. But after the third week came to a close, it was quite clear to him that Jayden was not coming back, and he didn't understand why. He would spend his days wandering around the house, bugging Casey to play with him, which she couldn't always do, due to her already overdue workload. She'd let it slide way more than intended during the custody battle, and she couldn't abandon it any longer.

Derek, however, had been getting worse and worse. Casey had hoped that his attitude would have changed, but it hadn't. As expected, he had forgotten about their date a few weeks back. She had phoned him at work that morning, and he'd told her to drop off Jeff at their parent's house, and that he'd be home around suppertime. She had driven to their parent's and said goodbye to Jeff, before returning back to their house. She'd waited up for a few hours, before giving up, and calling Cole, who had immediately come over and watched a few movies with her.

She had cried herself to sleep against Cole's chest, that night.

Derek had been taking days off of work randomly, giving no real reason at all. Sometimes, it was because he hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before, sometimes he claimed to be sick, but mostly, Casey figured that it was because he was always hung over from the night before. She could only guess that owning your own company, and being your own boss, had it's advantages.

His excessive drinking was starting to worry Casey. She understood that he was going through a difficult time, but he needed to realize that they all were. They all wanted Jayden back just as much as he did, but getting stupidly drunk every single night wasn't going to help solve anything. They still had another son who needed his parents to stay strong, and act responsibly. Doing that alone was becoming increasingly hard for Casey.

Quite frankly, his drinking was starting to impact their relationship ten times worse than it had in the beginning. He was out practically every single night, going to bars or clubs with Sam and Ralph, and he wouldn't get home until well past midnight. She was often asleep by the time that he got home, and would wake up in the morning to find him reeking of alcohol, if he was even there at all. Half the time, he'd just fall asleep at Sam or Ralph's, and wouldn't bother coming home until sometime the next day. On the mornings that Derek wasn't there, Jeff would repetitively ask his mother where his father had gone, and why he wasn't there. To Casey, all of it seemed highly unfair. She couldn't be the only one doing the parenting, keeping their house in order, and working, all at once.

Even when Derek was sober, he treated her differently. He told her that he loved her less and less everyday, and it was getting to the point that he would only say it at night, and only after she had said it first. He rarely talked to her anymore, something that she missed at night especially, seeing as they had always stayed up late at night, just talking about nothing in particular, and yet everything, all at once. His kisses were fewer and fewer, and on the rare occasion that he was home, he would practically avoid looking at her.

She missed it all, and his withdrawl was killing her slowly. After all that their relationship had survived, and after everything that they'd gone through together, she had hoped that they would have been able to get through this rough patch in their lives, together.

Apparantly, she'd been wrong.

On that particular night, after dinner, Casey made her way into their bedroom to see Derek getting ready to go out. Her hopes of spending some well deserved time with him died away immediately, but she decided to give it a try, anyway.

She put on the best smile she could summon up, but it wasn't genuine. She hadn't worn a real smile in what felt like weeks. Nonetheless, she walked towards him, and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his firmly, relishing in the feeling of something she had been missing so much lately. He responded slightly, wrapping his own arms around her waist loosely, taking a step closer to her.

She pulled back after a moment, a false smile plastered across her face. She used one hand to grasp the collar of his shirt, and pull him closer against her.

"You look rather handsome, tonight." she said with a smirk, kissing the corner of his mouth lightly. "Got a hot date I don't know about?"

He grinned and rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

"Of course not." he assured her, kissing her very quickly on the forehead. "Can't a guy look good when he's going out with his friends?"

If there had been any hope exsisting in Casey's mind, it disappeared then. Her face fell instantly and she frowned, pouting slightly.

"You're... you're going out?" she stammered, disappointment flooding through her, and shining through in her voice. He raised an eyebrow at her obvious negativity, as though he didn't see her point. She sighed, glancing away quickly.

"Never mind." she said quietly, her eyes fixed solely on the floor beneath them. "It's just... I sort of thought we could spend some time together. Talk, watch a movie, go out... something. I don't know. It's just... I've been feeling really lonely lately, and..."

She trailed off as she caught sight of the confused look on Derek's face- a look that suggested he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

"Forget it." she dismissed, trying her best not to cry in front of Derek. "I'm just... I'm being silly." she lied, knowing this couldn't be farther from the truth. "Go and have fun with your friends."

Derek hesitated, and appeared to be lost in thought. It was clear that he was suddenly feeling bad for her, but she didn't want him to stay just because he felt obliged to; she wanted him to stay because he loved her, and wanted to spend some time with her. She didn't feel that Derek should have to be forced to spend time with her. They were married, for God's sakes.

"Casey, are you sure?" he asked, running one hand in a repetitive motion across her lower back. "I can stay, if it's that big of a deal to you. It's... uh, it's no problem, really."

He was lying through his teeth, and Casey knew it. He didn't want to stay at home with her; he wanted to go out with his friends and get drunk. And she knew that no matter of arguing could change what he really wanted to be doing that night.

"It's fine, Derek." she said coldly, pressing the palms of her hands against his chest, and pushing him away from her. "You want to be with your friends tonight, not with me."

He shook his head frantically, panic floating through his eyes.

"No really, I..." he trailed off when he saw the look on her face. She knew that he must have realized that he wasn't fooling her at all. His face fell, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Case, I'm sorry. I just haven't been in the mood, lately."

Casey snapped then, her eyes widening at him as her eyebrows arched high against her forehead.

"Haven't been in the mood?" she repeated angrily, her voice raising with every syllable. "Not in the mood for _what_, Derek? For me, our marriage, our _life_? _What_? Tell me! It might be the most you've spoken to me all month."

He cringed at her words as the yelling stopped, and he shook his head, unwilling to believe that what Casey was saying was true.

"You're making me seem like some sort of monster." he whispered, clearly affected by what she had just said to him. She knew that she had hurt him, but she didn't care. He was hurting her more. But he didn't give her a chance to say anything, before he had rushed on.

"And I didn't mean that I wasn't in the mood for you, or us, or anything like that. It's just that... I can't pretend that I'm happy when I'm not."

Hurt flashed through Casey's eyes quicker than ever, and she felt her chest tighten with panic and fear.

"You're... you're not happy?" she asked, pouting slightly. He instantly softened, realizing that she must have taken the wrong meaning out of what he had said. He shook his head, reaching out to take her hand, but she wouldn't allow it.

"It's not you, Casey." he tried to tell her, despite the fact that she was shaking her head angrily to defy his words. "I swear it doesn't have anything to do with you. It's just..."

"Jay?" she laughed coldly, raising an eyebrow as he frowned. "Yeah, I get it. You miss Jayden. We all miss Jayden. And you know what? I thought we could get through this by being there for each other. I really did. But apparantly, me and Jeff have only got each other, these days."

"No, you don't." he argued, shaking his head at her. He reached out to stroke her cheek gently. "You've got me. You've always got me. Both of you."

Casey shook her head, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She flinched away from his touch, causing him to cringe painfully, hurt that his touch would have that affect on her.

"I don't think I do." she counteracted sadly. "You barely even look at me anymore, Der."

Derek's eyes were full of regret and shame, but she knew that he still wanted to go out, and nothing that she could say would stop him. He wasn't really changing. He just didn't want her to be mad at him. This had been happening on and off for the past month. She'd get upset, he'd act apologetic, and be sweet to her for a night or so, and then he'd turn into a jerk, again. She was starting to remember all of the reasons why she hadn't liked Derek back in high school.

Suddenly, another thought occured to her, one that she was reluctant, and scared, to bring up. Nonetheless, she was his wife, and she should be able to voice her concerns with him, without fear of being judged.

"To be honest," she said slowly, drawing in a shuddery breath as Derek wrapped his arms around her securely, wanting to hold her. "I think it's only a matter of time until you get so drunk that you'll end up cheating on me again."

A pained expression crossed Derek's face, and his jaw stiffened angrily. She could feel his hold on her tighten, but whether it was posessively or angrily, she had no clue. He searched her eyes questioningly, as though he couldn't quite believe that she'd just said that to him.

"Is that what you think?" he choked out, amazed. "Well? Is it?"

She didn't respnd, and he shook his head at her instantly, frowning.

"Never." he said, his voice harsh with an emotion that she couldn't quite pinpoint. "I would never cheat on you again, Casey. How many times do I have to tell you that before you'll believe me?"

"You're a complete idiot when you're drunk, Derek." she sobbed, crying now. "You didn't mean to do it seven years ago, but you did."

"I've learned. You've got to trust that." he argued desperately, gripping her tighter. She shook her head at him, smiling sadly.

"This isn't a trust issue." she assured him truthfully. "I _do_ trust you. More than anything. I know you'd never cheat on me- when you're sober. But when you're drunk, I just don't trust your actions."

"What the fuck have I ever done to you for you not to trust me, Casey?" he asked, moving his hands up to her upper arms, and gripping tightly. His teeth were gritted, and she cringed at the feel of his hands piercing against her skin. She bit on her lower lip, her eyes shut tightly.

"Answer me!" he demanded, barely noticing that he was practically lifting her from the ground. "Aside from cheating on you that one damn time, which you can't keep holding against me, what the_ hell_ have I ever done that would make me deserve this, huh?"

"The night Cole and Kallie were over." she reminded him, attempting to shut the pain out. "What about then?"

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked, his eyes confused and angry. "I didn't do anything. I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"You hurt me, Derek." she said quietly, wincing at the pain that was shooting through her arms. "You don't remember getting rough with me? You grabbed my wrists, and you started shaking me, really-"

"That's bullshit." he hissed, shaking his head at her, clearly either having been too drunk to even remember that night, or not wanting to admit to it.

"I'd never fucking hurt you, and I don't appreciate you making up lies about me."

"Then what the hell are you doing right now?" she sobbed, looking him square in the eye, and he froze, his eyes glazing over with a sad sort of realization. He let her go gently, and pulled her to him in a hug, holding her tightly to him.

"I'm sorry." he murmered against her neck, but she shook her head, pulling away from him quickly. She rubbed one of her arms, where he had just let go, secretly thinking to herself that she would have bruises in the morning. She hadn't had any the first time, something she had been grateful for. But this time had been more painful, and she had a feeling that she wouldn't like what she saw in the morning.

"Stay the hell away from me." she begged of him, shaking her head. "I don't want to be around you. Not when you're like this, anyway. Can't you see you're hurting me?"

Derek stared at her, anger flashing through his eyes dominantly. Casey backed away slightly at the sight of it, not wanting him to do anything else to her. He blinked at her a few times, as though he was uncertain of why she was even so mad, but after a moment, he shook his head at her and rolled his eyes.

"I don't have to put up with this." was all he said, glaring at her. "This is total bullshit."

If anything, this only set Casey off even further. Her anger overpowered her fear, and she found herself taking an angry step towards him.

"Bullshit?" she choked out, laughing coldly. "It's not bullshit, Derek. It's my feelings, which apparantly, you don't give a damn about."

"Apparantly not, because apparantly, nothing I've done in the past three and a half years has mattered to you. Apparantly, you think I'm an asshole."

"And apparantly, you're not the man I thought you were." she finished, sounding hurt. "So you know what? Why don't you just go? I'm sorry for talking to you. I'm sorry for trying to spend a bit of time with you. I'm sorry for loving you so damn much. And you know what? I'm sorry for even exsisting. How's that?"

The anger on his face drained away quickly and he paled, staring at her, amazed at the words that had just left her mouth. He swallowed hard, struggling for the words that would make it all okay again.

"Casey..."

"Go." she said, turning away from him so that he wouldn't see the tears that were resurfacing in her eyes.

"Baby, I never..."

"Didn't you hear me?" she yelled, whipping around angrily to face him. He cringed at the tears that were now slipping from her eyes quickly. "I said go!"

He stared at her, unsure of what to do, of how to react.

"B-But I want you to be... happy... and..."

"You want me to be happy?" she challenged, her eyes narrowed angrily at him. She took a step towards her husband, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"If that's what you want, then I'll repeat myself. Go. Leave."

He looked very much like he wanted to argue with her about this, but he merely stood there, his mouth hanging open in shock and hurt. And then, the realization of it all dawned over him; she didn't want him to argue with her, anymore. She didn't want him to say anything at all. She was telling the truth; she just wanted him to go, to leave her alone. That was what was going to make her happy.

And since that was all Derek wanted at the moment, he closed his mouth, and forced himself to nod. He swallowed back all of the objections that were racing through his mind, and he spoke up again.

"Fine." was all he got out, frowning. "If that's what you want."

She appeared reluctant, but she folded her arms across her chest, and nodded firmly, standing her ground. It was clear that she was trying to appear stronger than she actually was, but Derek decided not to bring it up to her.

"Yeah." she confirmed, attempting to keep her voice from wavering. "That's what I want. Go, have fun. Just do me a favour and check to make sure the gaurdrails on Jeff's bed are secured before you leave."

He knew that she expected him to argue with her further about him leaving, but he surprised her by nodding his head in agreement.

"I'll see you tonight." he said, stepping forwards to kiss her goodbye, but she ducked away, her arms folded and her eyes mistrusting and angry.

He sighed, knowing that it would be best not to push the matter further.

"Bye, then." he said, turning to walk towards their bedroom door. He could feel her eyes fixed on him the whole way, and he turned in the doorway to find that she was watching him intently, still very upset with him, and over everything that was happening between them.

He knew what she needed to hear, and he did not hesitate in saying it to her.

"You know that I love you, don't you?" he asked, feeling guilty when he realized that this was the first time he had said those words to her of his own accord in days. "Just because we're fighting, don't think it means I love you any less."

He could've sworn that her body relaxed a bit under this knowledge, but he couldn't be sure. She merely sniffed a little, and nodded her head to signal that she understood what he was saying to her.

"I know, Derek." was all she said in response. He waited expectantly, thinking that she would assure him that she loved him too, but no such words left her mouth. She averted her gaze from his, returning it to the floor once more, and his heart clenched painfully. Her cold shoulder was... well... brutally cold, but he couldn't say that he even blamed her for it. If he was Casey, he would probably react in the exact same way.

"I'll see you later, then." he said, before turning, and making his way towards the landing outside their bedroom.

And by the time she collapsed onto their bed, crying, he was already halfway down the stairs.

- - - -

It was quarter after twelve at night when their house phone rang. Casey had dozed off on the couch while using the laptop to check her Myspace, and, upon hearing the distinct ringing, she picked up the phone, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Hello?" she murmered, wondering who the hell would call her at such an hour.

"Case?" she heard Derek's drunken voice come from over the phone. She groaned, allowing her head to fall back against the back of the couch. She could hear the steady pounding of music in the background, and she knew that he was obviously on his cellphone at one of those bars he went to with his friends. There was talking and laughter in the background, and she rolled her eyes.

"It's me, babe. Wha's up?"

"What do you want, Derek?" she asked, still mad at him for earlier. "I assume you have a reason for calling me at one o'clock in the morning, when me and Jeff were both asleep?"

"I'm gonna take a cab home, m'kay?" he asked, laughing slightly.

Casey raised an eyebrow, wondering why the hell he would have to take a cab home in the first place. She supposed that she should just be happy that he wasn't attempting to drive home drunk, but happiness wasn't her key emotion at the moment.

"Congratulations on being the safest drunk of the night." she said bitterly, rolling her eyes. "But I have to ask- what the hell happened to _our _car? You know, the one that we're still paying off?"

"Oh, well it's a funny story." Derek laughed, his words slightly slurred. "I sorta locked my keys in the car when I went to get some more money, and uh... well... yeah. Sam's not drinkin'. He said he'll call one of those... lockey-people..."

"You mean a locksmith?" Casey questioned, rolling her eyes. "You know, the ones who charge you like, sixty bucks?"

Derek laughed, clearly finding her words amusing.

"Yeah, those thingits." he confirmed, and she could hear a female voice talking to him in the background. "Shut up, I'm talkin' to Case." he mumbled, his voice muffled before he returned to the phone. "Anyway, Sam's gonna call one of those things for me before he goes and he'll drive the car back home for me, and get a cab from our house. 'Kay?"

"Why can't you just wait for him?" Casey asked, making a mental note to never let Derek take the car to a bar ever again. "Wouldn't that be cheaper than you and Sam both taking cabs, and calling a locksmith?"

"He's not leaving until later." Derek explained, sounding careless. "I'll be home soon." he was cut off when a girl in the background giggled, and the phone was muffled for a second. Casey raised an eyebrow, feeling her insides clench with jealousy and suspicion despite herself, and she cleared her throat impatiently.

"Um, Derek?" she asked, but he didn't reply. She was suddenly fearful. "_Derek_!" she practically yelled, this time succeeding in getting his attention.

"Wha' is it?" he asked, when he returned to the phone. "And don't yell, woman, it hurts my eardrums."

"You'd better not be so much as _touching_ another girl." she warned him threateningly, her stomach clenching nervously. "Because if you are, I swear to God..."

There was silence from Derek, covered only by the sound of the music in the background, and Casey waited impatiently for him to assure her that he wasn't doing anything with another girl. A moment later, he spoke up again, sounding slightly guilty.

"I'll talk to you when I get home." was all he said, and before she had a chance to question it, he had hung up the phone. She felt panic flood her veins slightly, and she stared at the phone in her hand, terrified now. She hadn't liked his tone of voice, and how he hadn't exactly denied doing anything with another girl. It occured to her that he might not have had the attention span to deny anything, and that maybe she was overreacting.

It also occured to her that if she stayed up and waited for Derek, she'd make herself sick with worry.

So, forcing back all of her fears and negative emotions, and stood up on shaky legs, and placed the phone on the coffee table next to her laptop. She stretched, her arms finding a way up over her head, and yawned, before straightening up, and making her way towards the staircase.

She was halfway up the stairs when she spotted their most recent family photo, and her heart stopped for a moment as she saw Jayden's face smiling back at her. The photo had been printed off in two copies- one coloured, and one black and white. The one that they had chosen to frame and display was the black and white one. Jeff was dressed in jeans, and a white long sleeve, whereas Jayden had on a white button up shirt, with his own jeans the same shade as his younger brother's. Casey and Derek were standing together, Derek's arms wrapped firmly around her waist, the love clear in his eyes as his eyes remained fixed on her face. She had on a white tank top, and black pants, whereas he himself had on an outfit practically identical to Jayden's. Jayden stood in front of him, one of his hands reaching behind him to grasp Casey's, and Jeff was standing next to Jayden, clutching the leg of his pants absent-mindedly.

Casey smiled very faintly, tears welling up in her eyes. She reached out, touching the picture gently, emotion coursing through her.

"You don't realize how much you meant to this family." she whispered, her eyes darting back and forth between Jayden, and the general happiness of the picture.

"Without you, we're nothing."

With that, she forced her hand away from the picture, and made her way upstairs to their bedroom, where she collapsed into their bed, not even bothering to get changed. She wasn't going to wait up for Derek.

He didn't deserve that sort of luxury.

- - - -

"God damned taxi drivers." Derek grumbled as he stumbled in through the front door, anger clear in his eyes. "Fifteen bucks. Do I look like I'm made of freakin' money, or something?"

He tripped up as he came in through the porch, falling over one of Jeff's abandoned sneakers, and catching himself on the doorframe.

"Damn kid." he muttered, kicking the shoe violently to the side. He didn't even recognize that he'd just cursed his own child, for he was too pissed off at the stupid taxi fares, and the shoe that he'd tripped, over, and the fact that Casey had practically accused him of cheating... again.

He felt around in the dark for the railing, finally grasping it, and he felt his way upstairs as best as he could. It was very difficult to see in the dark, but he managed to find his way into his and Casey's bedroom, pushing open the door and flicking the lightswitch on violently. He squinted as the light hit his eyes.

"Stupid light." he murmered, kicking his sneakers into the corner. They hit the wall with a bang, and Casey gave a little jump, clearly frightened by the noise. She squinted a little, sitting up and studying him carefully. She looked absolutely exhausted, but Derek felt even more tired than she looked, and therefore did not take much notice of it.

"About time you got home." she said, glancing at the clock, which read two thirty. "I thought you were coming home like, two hours ago?"

Derek glared at her as he tossed his jacket into the chair on the other side of the room. Who was she to challenge every word he said?

"I got distracted, alright?" he muttered, undoing the clasp of his watch. "Excuse me for breaking your silly little curfew."

Casey's eyes widened at his attitude, and her jaw dropped.

"Derek!" she cried, clearly offended by his manner of greeting. "What's wrong with you? You're acting all moody."

"Maybe I am moody." he shrugged, tossing his watch onto the dresser carelessly. "Doesn't mean I wanna talk 'bout it, does it?"

She frowned, remembering what she had wanted to talk to him about earlier. She brought her knees up against her chest, resting her arms on them casually.

"You didn't answer my question earlier, Derek." she said, sounding nervous. "I asked you if you'd done anything with any other girls."

Derek whipped around, his eyes narrowed angrily at her.

"What did we talk about earlier, dammit?" he growled, tossing his wallet onto the dresser next to his watch. "I told you I wouldn't cheat on you. Don't you listen?"

"Well considering the fact that there was a girl giggling in the background on the phone, and the second I brought it up, you said that you'd talk to me later, I think I'm being pretty damn rational."

Derek stared at her for a moment, blinking a couple of times. He winced at her, as though trying to figure out whether or not he should say something. Finally, he turned away from her, reaching behind his neck to undo his chain.

"_She_ kissed _me_, alright?" he got out, sounding as though he was speaking simply of the weather, or of some other trivial matter. "I didn't do a damn thing."

Casey stared at him in awe as he tossed his chain aside with his other belongings, and flicked the lightswitch off. Not saying a word, he crossed the room and got into bed with her, not even bothering to get changed. He rolled onto his side, his eyes fluttering shut instantly, but Casey continued to sit up in her spot, her entire body shaking with shock and nausea. She felt as though she was about to be sick as she reached towards the nightstand, flicking the lamp on violently.

"Derek?" she stammered, her voice shaking steadily. He grunted to show he was listening. "Did some girl really kiss you?"

"Yup... well, tried to." he said, clearly too drunk to realize what he was saying. "Night, Case."

She stared at him in disbelief, before practically jumping out of bed, and smacking the side of his head violently. He cursed, rubbing the spot where she'd hit as though it stung.

"No!" she yelled at him, infuriated. "You can't just tell me something like that, and then expect me to let you go to sleep! What the hell, Derek? You let some girl kiss you?"

Derek sat up in his spot, squinting in the light. He was still rubbing his head as he responded.

"I didn't _let_ her do anything, Casey." he muttered, his words half pieced together through his drunken stupor. "I pushed her way, 'kay? She didn't even get to kiss me. And if you don't believe me, ask Sammy. He was there, he'll tell you."

Casey stared at him for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that her whole entire world was unravelling right before her eyes, and there was practically nothing that she could do about it. Her and Derek had been so in love at the start of all this. They'd had a seemingly flawless life, and now? She was half wondering whether or not she should just leave the guy.

But, for some reason, she believed that Derek was telling the truth when he said that he had pushed this girl away, and, despite how angry she was with him, that did, in fact, make it not his fault. He shouldn't have been getting this drunk anyway, but it still wasn't his fault that some girl had attempted to kiss him. As long as she actually hadn't, she had nothing to worry about, did she?

"Do you promise?" she asked, her voice nervous and shaky. "Derek, do you swear that that's the truth? You never tried to kiss anyone, and you p-pushed her away? You didn't let her kiss you?"

Derek watched her, looking confused as hell as he shook his head, his eyes narrowed.

"Of course I didn't. I'd never kiss anyone else." he said, sounding more sober than he had all night. That only lasted for a moment, before stupidity washed over him, and he shrugged.

"If you're worried, I'll go somewhere different tomorrow, m'kay?" he grinned, shrugging. "That chick is always at that bar. I'll just go somewhere new."

She frowned, not satisfied with this answer.

"So you're going out again tomorrow." she stated, her voice emotionless. She smiled coldly. "Lovely. Can't say I expected anything more from you, though. Goodnight."

With that, she rolled onto her side, purposely moving as far away from Derek as she could get. She half expected him to reach across her to turn the light off, before going to sleep himself, but he remained perfectly still, and she could tell without even looking that he was staring at her.

"You're being a really big bitch, do you know that?" he asked her, sounding more sober than he had all night. "Correction, I'm beginning to think you _are _a bitch. I really am."

Casey winced, biting her lip in an attempt not to let Derek know his words had affected her. She purposely stayed rolled onto one side, not willing to turn around and look him in the eye.

"I'm sorry you think that." she whispered, hurt. "Goodnight, Derek."

"There you go." he laughed, the consistancy of his voice weakened by the alcohol. "Ignoring every word I say just 'cause it isn't what you want to hear. Typical Casey."

She hated that he was speaking of her so negatively, and she had to wonder if these opinions of her extended to when he was sober, but she forced herself to believe that his words were being forced out through stupidity, and blinked back a couple of tears.

"Yeah, that's me." she agreed, knowing that it was best just to agree with him. "Selfish. Now go to sleep."

"Gladly." he laughed, falling down onto his back. "Anything to black out your constant stubborn-in...ity?" he finished uncertainly, his face scrunched up in confusion.

With that, she turned over, her eyes narrowed angrily at him.

"Stubborn, Derek?" she repeated, unable to believe that he was so stubborn, that he couldn't see how stubborn he was being himself. "That's you, not me. Look in the mirror, you jerk. Maybe then you'll realize that your slowly turning into some sort of monster, and everyone who you're supposed to take care of is slowly losing any respect they had for you."

He raised an eyebrow, unmoved.

"So wha'?" he slurred, half laughing. "I lose a bit of respect? Big fuckin' deal. That's _you_ that cares about what everyone else thinks, not me."

"I care about _you_, actually, and I happen to be concerned about the way you're acting, and the lack of respect you show for yourself." she explained, frowning. "You act like you don't even care about anything, Derek. Jayden's gone, yeah, he is. And you know what? You need to stop sooking, and accept it. Yes, it's hard, and yes, it breaks my heart too. But do you want to know what I do to keep my mind off of it? I spend time with our other son, you know, the one you've been ignoring lately, and try my best to keep him happy. Because he's just lost his brother, and he's very slowly losing his father too."

"He ain't losin' nothin'." Derek argued, rolling his eyes and tilting his head away from her. "If anything, you're losin' your mind. You're imagining things."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm really not, Derek." she said, shaking her head. "You need to-"

He reached up, grabbing the collar of her shirt, and pulling her closer to him roughly.

"Stop telling me what I _need_ to do." he demanded, his teeth gritted. "I don't need a chick to tell me what I can, and cannot, do."

She had a feeling that, for the third time, he was going to get violent with her, but this time, she would not allow it. She gathered all of her self-respect, and confidence, and reached her hand up, prying his fingers away from her shirt.

"Don't even think of getting rough with me, you jerk!" she yelled at him, shaking her head. "I'm not going to sit there and take it like some sort of wimp. I can stand up for myself."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, grabbing her again, this time by the back of her head, pulling her very roughly towards him. Her face was right in front of his, and she winced as his grip tightened painfully.

"Prove it." he smirked, clearly not in any state of mind to be spoken back to.

Their eyes locked for a moment, and, not wanting to let him have the last word, she grabbed his hand, and twisted his arm brutally, before shoving him off the bed from beside her. She heard him curse under his breath, rubbing where the back of his head had struck the nightstand. She didn't much care if she'd just hurt him. It had been in her own defence, and he'd already hurt her enough.

"You bitch!" he growled, stumbling towards the bed again, and collapsing onto it. "What the hell was that for? I didn't do nothin'."

She shrugged, shaking slightly out of the fear that he might just attempt to get back for that one. She saw the possibility of it flash through his eyes, and she waited expectantly, her lower lip quivering slightly. But after a moment, he let out a low growl, pounding his fist against the bed next to him.

"God dammit!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the room. "Do you _know _how much you piss me off?"

Before she could even answer him, they both froze, hearing the sound of their son's voice down the hallway.

"Daddy?" he called, clearly having heard his father's yelling a moment before. Derek rolled his eyes, ignoring Jeff's call.

A moment later, the kid's voice piped back up again, sounding slightly scared that no one was answering him, after he had quite clearly heard a disturbance coming from his father's room.

"Daddy?"

"If that kid knows what's good for him..." Derek murmered, pressing his hands against his forehead, clearly dizzy. "God damn alcohol."

"Daddy?"

"Would you shut the _hell_ up, Jeffrey?" Derek yelled, losing all patience, and screwing his face up in anguish. "God dammit, can't a guy get some sleep in this house?"

There was silence, as Casey turned to Derek in awe, and Jeff seemed to process that his father had just gotten angry with him. A moment later, they heard a tiny thud that indicated that Jeff had fallen back against his mattress again, and Casey shook her head at her husband, disgusted at what he had just done. His eyes met with hers, and he recognized what he had just said to his son. Some wave of humanity and guilt seemed to flood over him, and he cringed, tilting his head back.

"Shit." he muttered, clearly angry with himself. "Case, I'm sorry."

She shook her head, moving as far away from him as she possibly could.

"It's not me I want you to apologize to." she snapped, beyond disgusted. "But I don't want you going near him when you're drunk. Go to bed, and we'll talk about this in the morning."

He stared at her for a moment, before rolling over, knowing it was best not to argue. Half of him wanted morning to come, so that he could get the impending argument over with, but the other half was scared of what it may bring.

* * *

**Don't like, kill Derek, please. He's too sexy to be killed :) Anyway kids, it's that time of ... (story?) again? The part where I have some pre-written chapters already done up, and ready to go, with the small exception of some grammatical editing, which can be done fairly quickly. Sooo how quickly I update basically depends on how many of you choose to review. Teehee. You know what that means, fools! Review :) Oh, and by the way, just because I know alot of you will doubt it, Derek really was telling the truth when he said he didn't let another girl kiss him. He never cheated on her.**


	28. For Those Who Deserve Better

**So here's another chapter. Review generously, and another will come either late tonight, or tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it. :) **

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. **

**Chapter-Twenty Eight: For Those Who Deserve Better**

Hours later, Casey woke up on her own, for no apparant reason. She hated mornings like these, when she did not wake up for any specific person, for she never had any sort of motivation to get up and begin her day. She groaned in frustration, wanting to fall asleep again, but a moment later, she felt a comforting hand gently rubbing her back, as though trying to coax her back to sleep. She sighed, her eyes fluttering closed again. She knew that hand anywhere.

Turning over, she saw Derek lying on his side, propped up by one elbow and rubbing her back gently. There was a strange sort of look on his face, almost as though he had been studying her very carefully. She squinted at him in the faint rays of light that the streetlights had cast across the room, and rolled onto her own side, lacing her fingers through his softly.

"Why are you up so early?" she asked him, still only half awake, herself. She glanced at the clock, squinting to read the time. "It's five o'clock in the morning."

"I know." he said, threading his fingers through her hair gently with his free hand, his eyes sorrowful. "I woke up at four, and couldn't get back to sleep. Everything that happened last night was on my mind, you know? I just couldn't get it out of my head."

Casey was about to ask what he was talking about, for she really had no idea, but then it all came flooding back to her. Their fight after dinner, him coming home drunk and becoming violent with her. Derek yelling at Jeff, and calling her a bitch; it all hit her with a wave of sadness, and she felt her stomach drop as she realized that it had not all been some horrible nightmare, like she had hoped.

She pulled her hand out of his and tucked it underneath her head, glancing down at the blankets quickly. Derek seemed to notice her instant withdrawl from him, and he shook his head, not wanting her to freeze him out like this.

"Don't ignore me, please." he begged her, reaching for her hand again. She wouldn't allow him to take it, and he sighed. "I understand why you're mad, but can we please just talk about it?"

"You're a fucking_ drunk_, Derek." she said, her voice harsh as she fought back tears. She looked him in the eye, and he winced at the pain that was so clearly displayed there. "My husband is a god damn drunk. How do you think that makes me feel? I feel so... so..."

"So what?" he urged her, squinting at her carefully, as though scared of what she was going to say. She thought over what she wanted to say, knowing that any given word could spark an argument between the two of them, as it had been for weeks now. Finally, she decided upon a word, and she glanced back up at him, shrugging.

"I don't know... worthless, I guess." she said, sighing. "I don't want to be one of those women that everyone looks at as the wife of some abusive alcoholic. Besides, what good is it to have a nice home and a good job if my husband couldn't give a damn."

"Couldn't give a damn about what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as though he had no clue what she was talking about.

She looked up into his eyes, her own filling with tears instantly. She knew he hated it when she cried, but right now, she felt as though he deserved to put up with the damn crying. He was being a complete idiot, and her feelings towards him were so angry, that she couldn't care less what he thought of her.

"About me." she finished quietly, allowing a tear to slide down her face. "About...us, and our family. I don't think that you care about any of it, anymore."

Derek's face fell, and she could tell her words were affecting him deeply, which she took as a good sign. Not much that she said to him even got through his thick head anymore. He reached out to touch her face, and she wasn't even surprised that his touch did not bring the joy it once had.

"Casey..." he said, stroking her cheek gently. "Come on, you know that couldn't be farther from the truth. Of course I care about you, and about Jeff, and our family. You're taking things to extremes here."

"No I'm not." she said, shaking her head. "I'm not going to let you make me out to be the bad guy here, Derek. I'm reacting like any other normal person would react. You've... you've changed...and I'm not so sure that I like the new you all that much."

Every conversation between the two of them had some sort of a spark, and on this particular morning, that was it. That was all it took to set Derek off again. And she knew that the day had officially begun. Derek was mad at her, and now the battle could begin.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. She shook her head, signalling that she didn't want to tell him, but he shook his head. "No, you're going to tell me." he argued, grabbing her wrists tightly in his.

"Explain it." he demanded, shaking. "You start a sentence, you damn well finish it."

She sighed, ignoring the pain that was shooting through her wrists. She was used to this action, by now.

"You know the whole 'grab and demand' thing you keep doing?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's getting old. If you're going to get violent, why don't you just hit me like any other abusive husband would do?"

He rolled his eyes at her definition of him, and he smirked, laughing bitterly.

"You keep talking like that and maybe I will." he threatened, and she had barely had a chance to register what he had said, before she heard a voice come from the other side of the room.

"Mommy?"

Casey groaned, and wrenched herself out of Derek's grasp. She saw him stare at her for a moment, before rolling onto his back again. Casey flicked on the lamp behind her, glancing over to their doorway, where Jeff was standing, looking terrified. Casey's features instantly softened and she threw the blankets off of her as she stood up, crossing the room to retreive her son.

"Baby, how did you get out of your bed?" she asked him, scooping him up into her arms and cradling him to her chest. "Those gaurdrails are supposed to keep you from getting out, or falling. Didn't your father come and lock them last night like I told him to?"

Jeff shook his head no, frowning as he shot his father a fearful glace. It was instantly clear to Casey that Jeff understood, on some childlike level, what Derek's words from a few moments ago had meant. He did not understand the full context of them, but as Casey's son, Jeff was smart. And Casey knew that Jeff understood that what his father had been doing to his mother was wrong, and that what he had said was, essentially, a threat. And with the way that he was looking at his father now, with a spark of fear in his eyes, she had a feeling that Jeff didn't like it.

Casey shot Derek a menacing glare, perching herself on the edge of their bed with her son resting in her lap.

"Good job, Derek." she hissed angrily. "Not only are you turning me against you, but you're putting your own son's safety at risk. You're a real winner."

Derek opened his mouth to reply, but he clearly couldn't think of the right thing to say to that. He blushed, before looking away again, an embarassed look in his eyes. She knew that he at least felt bad about forgetting to lock Jeff's gaurdrails. That was a start; it was hard to knock some guilt into this idiot these days.

She decided to ignore her loser of a husband, and focus on her son's troubles. At least Jeff deserved the help she could offer him.

"Why are you up, anyway?" she asked him, running a hand through his hair to keep it away from his eyes. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Jeff nodded, his lower lip sticking out a little, and quivering slightly with fear. Casey softened, and leaned down to press a kiss to his warm forehead.

"Do you want to stay in here with us?" she asked, trying to reassure him, and avoid talking to Derek all at once.

But Jeff shot his father an almost frightened look, shaking his head no frantically. Casey squinted at him, and slowly, a smile crept onto the small boy's features, almost mischeviously.

"Don't wanna sleep." he decided, smiling slightly. "Cartoons."

Casey sighed, knowing that she was going to have to get up now and make breakfast for Jeff. The kid always enjoyed a good breakfast between his cartoons. By the time she got something cooked, all of his favourites would just be starting. Derek sure as hell wasn't going to act like a responsible parent, so she knew she'd have to do it herself. Their days of shared parenting were long gone, replaced by sole responsibility on Casey's behalf. She placed her son down on the ground and motioned for him to go on into the living room.

"Go, I'll be out in a second." she informed him, a tiny smile on her lips at the sight of the child that she loved more than anything in the world. A child that she and Derek had created, no less, but despite her recent feelings for the man, she could never love Jeff any less.

Jeff grinned at his mother, and ran from the room to wait for her downstairs by the sofa.

Casey stood up immediately, making her way to the closet to find a sweater to pull on over her head. She was a bit cold, and she knew that it would be even colder downstairs, since the heat wouldn't be turned on yet.

Derek was watching her every move intently, and he suddenly frowned at her.

"You need help with breakfast?" he asked, yawning, and stretching his hands above her head.

She mentally noted that this was practically the first time that he'd offered to help her in weeks, but nonetheless, she shook her head.

"I'm fine, _thank you_." she snapped coldly, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and holding it as she began searching for an elastic on their dresser.

"It's in the little glass dish on the right hand side." Derek reminded her, motioning towards the elastics. She grabbed it as he continued. "You coming back up?"

Casey paused in the doorway as she finished putting her hair up, and whirled around, her eyes narrowed into angry slits.

"No, I'm not." she snapped, folding her arms across her chest angrily. "Because quite frankly, I don't want to be around someone who makes me feel uncomfortable about my life. Besides, someone needs to be downstairs watching _my_ son."

Derek's face fell, and he raised an eyebrow as she turned to leave.

"_Your _son?" he repeated, hurt lingering in his every word.

She turned around again, more slowly this time, and gave him a cold smile.

"Yes Derek." she confirmed, nodding. _"My _son. I don't think any child should have to refer to someone as cowardly and asinine as yourself as their father."

Derek's eyes flashed angrily, but it was a different type of anger this time, and he shook his head at her.

"That's not fair, Casey." he growled, ignoring the smirk on her face. "That's a really cruel thing to say to me. Jeff is my son, and I happen to love him very much."

Casey strode towards him, her eyes narrowed angrily, and her voice dangerously low.

"If you love him, then I suggest you start showing it, Derek." she snapped, clearly upset by this. "Tell the kid you love him from time to time. Play with him at least once a day. Spend some time with him. Respond to him when he calls out to you instead of _yelling_ at him. Remember, if you can't think of anything nice to say, then shut your god damn mouth and be quiet. And for Christ's sakes, start showing some responsibility in his safety. You didn't even put the gaurdrails on his bed, Derek! What if he had of gotten up and fallen down the stairs, or tried to get to the playground by himself? He's only two years old, dammit. Anything could have happened to him! He's a child! He's not replaceable! Once something, happens, you can't take it back."

"Jesus, Casey!" he cried, rubbing his temple in frustration. "You think I don't know that? I do, okay? I was..."

He trailed off, a strange look coming over his face, and she knew that he didn't want to finish that statement.

"Drunk." she finished for him quietly, glancing away. Derek remained silent, and she sighed. "Forget it. I'm getting used to that by now, anyways."

"Casey..."

"All I can tell you is that you're going to have to change." she cut him off, running a tired hand through her hair. "I need you to change. Jayden's gone, okay? And I know that this is really hard for us to accept... but we have to move on. It tears me up too, that he's not here anymore. I want him back more than anything. Yeah, I've cried about it, not that you've been around to notice. But the courts made a decision. The adoption will be finalized anyday now, and then there's no turning back. To challenge them further would only complicate Jayden's life even more than this whole mess already has."

"But-"

"Think about it, Derek." she sighed, backing up towards the door again. "And I mean _really _think about it; unless you want your son to hate you before his third birthday rolls around.''

Derek gaped after her, shocked by the words that had just left her mouth. Before he could even answer, she had added one more thing.

"That goes for me, too." she said sadly.

She slammed the door, leaving Derek alone with his thoughts, and his regrets.

- - - - - -

"I'm gone."

Casey looked up from the couch to see her husband grabbing the car keys off of the ledge, the ones that Sam had dropped off several hours before, and shrugging into his leather jacket. As mad as she was, she wanted to know where he was going, and felt that she deserved to know, anyways.

She shut off the TV and tossed the remote onto the couch, folding her arms across her chest as she watched him zipping up his jacket.

"Alright." she said, her voice tense. "Where are you going? Out with Sam or somebody?"

"No. Out with a few of my friends." he dismissed, grabbing his sneakers off of the floor, and working to untie the tight knots that he'd done up the night before by accident; usually he'd just be able to slip them on.

Casey's face fell immediately. She thought that she might have actually talked some sense into him earlier, but apparantly, she had been wrong.

"You mean drinking." she concluded quietly, smiling sadly to herself. When he froze, she sighed and nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Case-"

"Didn't anything I said this morning mean a thing to you?" she asked, standing up and walking slowly towards him. "Did a single word of that register with you?"

He winced, biting his lip for a moment.

"Well, yeah... but..."

"There's no buts, Derek." she sighed. "This isn't a game, or a test. This is our relationship. You screw it up, you can't go back. Not again. I only have so much forgiveness in me. And right now, you're driving everything we have straight into the ground."

He tried not to act like her words had hurt him, but they both knew that they had. Every word that she had been saying, right from the beginning, had affected him more than he would ever show. But they both knew that he was the master at hiding his true emotions, and that this was no different. He frowned, glancing away quickly.

"Casey... get real." he sighed. "Men drink. It's what we do. If I want to go out and have a couple of drinks with my friends, who are you to stop me?"

Casey's face scrunched up in disgust, and she shook her head in disappointment, folding her arms across her chest.

"You know, I really thought I might have talked some sense into you this morning. I really did." she said sadly. "But maybe you're not willing to change, is that it?"

Derek shrugged, trying to act strong, when it was clear that he was just moments away from falling apart. But he stood his ground, and sighed.

"I don't have to change for anyone- not even you." he shrugged, before smirking, and turning towards the door.

Casey watched as he turned the handle, and she felt her heartbeat speeding up. What had happened to her Derek? The Derek who was always respectful of her opinions and suggestions, and who showed a certain amount of care towards his relationship, and family. He had been a terrific father to both of their boys. He was always completely devoted to their life. And now... he was barely even home. He yelled at his family, he couldn't even be trusted to do one simple task, like make sure his son's gaurdrails were in place before he went drinking. She needed him to care, and she needed him to reassure her that she wasn't the only one trying anymore, that she wasn't fighting a battle that was already long over. All they needed was one little trigger to end everything. She knew how close they were to total and complete destruction. And when Derek was drunk... he often did things that he later regretted. He had pushed one girl off, but she wasn't so sure that he'd have the power to do so again.

Remembering how stupid he could be when he was drunk, she suddenly snapped back to focus, determined to make him stay.

Reaching out, she grabbed his sleeve desperately, pulling him back to her before the door could even open. He studied her carefully, and she watched him with terrified eyes. He sensed this, but did not question it. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to act like the strong one in all of this, the determined one. But they both knew he was falling apart slowly, and was too afraid to admit it. She released her pain through her emotions, whereas Derek released it through excessive drinking, and that was the way he wanted it.

"Don't go." she begged him, her eyes desperate now. "Please don't go."

His eyes narrowed in confusion, almost as though her words had shocked him. He let his hand drop from the doorknob, and he let it grip the edge of his jacket anxiously.

"Why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "All I'm doing is pissing you off. Might as well go out for awhile."

She shook her head at him, completely lost and amazed that he would even think like that.

"Is that what you think?" she asked, surprised. "You think I don't want you around just because we got into a bit of a fight?"

He looked her in the eye, searching for some sign of honesty. After a moment, he shrugged and nodded. Casey let out a deep breath, shaking her head at him.

"You're so stupid." she murmered, wanting nothing more than to hit him then and there. "I could just... _strangle _you right now!" she cried, cringing. "You're the most stubborn man I've ever met in my life, Venturi."

Derek raised an eyebrow, a weird look on his face.

"Is this supposed to make me feel wanted?" he asked, looking uncertain. "Because uh, it isn't working."

"I don't want you to go." she admitted, sighing. "I really don't. I want just one night of you and me, like it used to be. We haven't spent time together in ages... and I need to feel like I'm not the only one who wants this anymore."

His head snapped up in amazement, and he reached out, placing a hand gently on her waist and pulling her closer.

"I want this." he assured her quickly, nodding. "Believe me, I want this. More than that, I need this. I just find that doing this every night helps to take my mind off of... off of Jay."

"I could help you." she pleaded, grabbing onto the collar of his jacket. She didn't really care if she looked pathetic, at this point. "Please let me help you. We're supposed to be here for each other, Derek. That's a part of marriage, isn't it? To get through the rough patches together."

"This is a bit more than a rough patch, Case." he choked out, through attempted laughter. "We just lost our son. I think that goes above and beyond a rough patch."

Casey nodded, knowing he was right.

"Yes, but you can't just drink away your problems every single night." she pointed out. "Thirteen nights, Derek." she said sadly. "Thirteen nights in a row you've gone out and gotten completely wasted. And that's just consistantly. You took a day off in between. Add them all together and it's been eighteen."

"You've been counting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been lonely." she corrected him, a pained expression crossing her features. She leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly, before pressing her forehead against his. "I need you to care."

He sighed, running a hand through her hair repetitively.

"I do care." he assured her. "Really, I do."

She looked up into his eyes, shaking her head at him. The next thing he felt was her hands pressed against his chest as she pushed him away from her.

"Then start showing it." she snapped.

He blinked at her for a moment, clearly unsure of whether or not he should stay and work this out with her, or just go. Coming to his decision, he grabbed his car keys again, taking a step forwards.

"I'll be back later." he dismissed, brushing past her as quickly as possible so that she held no chances of stopping him.

He pulled the door open and started down the walkway towards the car, feeling like the world's biggest asshole. He wanted to work things out with her. He really did. But getting drunk was the only thing that made him forget that he'd just lost his son. He knew Casey wanted to take that pain away for him, and be the best wife she could be... but he didn't think that this was something that she could fix with a few hugs and kisses. Drinking was his only option.

He hadn't closed the door behind him, being so lost in thought, and he was just getting into his car when he heard Casey speak up from the porch.

"Don't expect me to be here when you get back."

He froze, halfway into the car with the keys in his hand. He remained absolutely still, unsure of what she meant by those words. He decided to give her a chance to explain, so he planted his feet firmly on the ground again and sighed, resting his hands and chin on top of the roof of the car.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"You heard me." she said, drawing in a shaky breath. "I'm not putting up with your bullshit anymore, Derek. I'm sick of you not being there when I go to sleep at night. I'm sick of waking up in the morning having to deal with your stupid hangovers, if you're even there. I'm sick of having to watch Jeff wonder why his father doesn't pay attention to him anymore. I hate being the only one working, the only one looking after the house, the only one doing the parenting, and the only one who even cares about this damn marriage. I asked you to change; I told you how fucking depressed this is making me, and how much it hurts to have you so distant from me. And it made no difference whatsoever to you. I'm sorry. I've put up with enough. I want out."

Derek was frozen to the spot, staring at Casey. Fear was clear on his features now, and she could practically see his body shaking nervously. He shook his head desperately, trying to stammer out a full sentence.

"C-Casey, no..." he got out, walking around the car towards her, trying visibly to keep himself upright. "Don't do this. I'm sorry, okay?"

"Your words don't match your actions." she snapped, turning and slamming the door in his face. She strode up the stairs, but had only gotten halfway when she heard the door open up behind her, and Derek storm in after her, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

"Casey!"

"Leave me alone, Derek."

He had caught up to her by now, and attempted to grab her sleeve, but she shoved him off violently, sending him crashing into the nearest wall. She took his moment of weakness to advance towards Jeff's room. He caught sight of her and regained his balance, stumbling after her shakily.

"You can't do this."

"I think I can."

She stormed through her son's bedroom door, flicking his lightswitch on violently, and striding towards where he was sleeping peacefully.

Derek seemed to realize what she was doing, and he shook his head frantically, looking absolutely terrified that he may just lose the last two people he had left.

"Don't bring him into this." he begged in a whisper, trying not to wake Jeff. "Casey, you can't take him away from me... not after... no. Please, don't take him from me."

Casey scooped Jeff up in her arms gently, careful not to wake him. She picked up his baby blue blanket and wrapped it around his small body to keep him warm.

"I don't feel safe leaving my son in the care of someone who gets drunk every single night." she snarled bitterly, holding her son tight to her chest. "It makes me feel very uncomfortable, especially when you've already been violent with me. I can stand up for myself, but Jeff is two years old. If you hurt him, he doesn't have the power to fight back.."

"So what?" Derek stammered, terrified. "You're just going to leave? You'd honestly take my own son away from me without a care in the world?"

Casey winced, but remained unmoved, trying her best not to show emotion. Showing emotion would prove to Derek that she did, in fact, feel terrible about all of this. He was trying to break her down, and she knew it, but she would not allow it.

"So what happens from here, Casey?" he asked, half bitterly, half scared. "You leave, then what? Are we going to get a divorce, take a break, do you even know? Have you even given that any thought, yet, or were you just planning on sitting on the side of the road until something came to you?"

She glared at him, and he instantly recognized that he had said the wrong thing.

"Unlike you, I've actually been thinking hard about our relationship lately. But unfortunately, I don't know the answer to that question. All I know is that I can't stay here anymore." she snapped, her eyes narrowed in anger. "So if you'll give me the car keys, I'll be on my way."

Derek stared at the ground, trying to hide the fact that there were tears in his eyes. Casey saw them, and it killed her to know that he was hurting like this, but so was she. He hadn't given a damn when it was her who had been upset a few minutes ago, so why should she care now?

"The keys, Derek." she said pointedly, holding out one hand.

Derek's eyes locked with hers in a glistening connection, and he bit his lip, as though torn between letting her do what would make her happy, and keeping her there. She kept her hand held out, waiting expectantly.

Slowly and reluctantly, he reached into his pocket and grasped the keys tightly in his fist, racking his brain for something that he could say that would make it all okay.

He was sad to say that he had absolutely nothing.

With shaking hands, he placed the car keys into her outstretched hand, looking as though he was on the verge of breaking down.

She closed her hands around the keys, and adjusted Jeff against her hip, trying not to wake him.

"Thank you." she said quietly, walking slowly towards the door.

Derek stayed with his head bowed down, with his hands stuffed into his pocket. It was clear that he was ashamed of what was happening, and she half expected him to reach out and try to stop her. The old Derek Venturi would have. He would argue with her until she gave in and forgave him. But there was something about the new Derek that just wouldn't let him bother. It was like even he knew that her leaving was best for her, for their son, and maybe even for his own good.

He did, however, turn around to ask her one final question.

"Are you coming back?"

Casey turned around again, her eyes meeting his in a silent understanding. He knew what her answer was before she even said it.

"Don't count on it." was all she said, before turning and walking out of the room.

Derek didn't hear her walking down the stairs. He didn't hear the front door slamming. He didn't even hear her start up the car and drive down the road with their son in the backseat. He was slumped down against the wall, his head in his hands. He wasn't one to cry. He wasn't supposed to cry over anything. Crying made him emotional, and that just wasn't the kind of person he was.

But there was only so much one person could take. And when he realized that he had just lost the last two people in his life that he was supposed to love and protect... he realized something.

Casey hadn't been joking. He was single-handedly ruining any chance he had with his family. He had to change. Casey deserved better. Jeff deserved better. He deserved better. _They _deserved better, as a family.

And he needed to get Casey back. He wasn't going to let this turn into another four year seperation like it had the first time. If there was anything he'd learned from that, it was that he was often the cause of their problems, and he had to take responsibility for it.

But doing that required somehow getting through to Casey, and he was pretty sure that it was much too late for that.

* * *

**Next chapter is ready to go :) I shall hold it hostage until I get enough reviews! Hehe, I'm mean. **


	29. Because It's For The Best

**You guys were generous with reviews, so I shall be generous and give you another chapter tonight. Review, please and as usual, Ill update sooner. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Because It's For The Best**

Casey immediately went back to their parent's house. Her first instinct was to go to Cole's, but she needed a place that she could stay for a lengthy period of time, if not for good, and she knew that Cole didn't have enough space, even if he would make room for her. Their parents had luckily been gone out already, but Lizzie had been there, claiming that she was waiting for Marti to get home to give her some money she owed her. As hard as Casey had tried to hide why she was there, Lizzie had forced the truth out of her, but all that Casey had said was that she'd left Derek, and she needed a place to stay for awhile.

But, being the younger sister, Lizzie wasn't about to leave it at that. She wanted answers, and she wanted them as soon as possible.

"Case, come on, tell me why you left." Lizzie pressed, sitting down on the edge of her sister's bed. "Did Derek cheat on you again?"

Casey snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Not yet." she commented, folding her arms across her chest. "Wouldn't surprise me if he did, though."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow at her sister's negativity. She chewed on her bottom lip as though searching for an appropriate answer to that statement.

"What happened?" she asked, studying her sister with sympathy. "Casey, I'm your sister. You can tell me these things." she coaxed, hoping that her sister would give into her. "Please?"

"Later, Liz." she sighed, leaning her head against the headboard of her old bed. "I don't want to talk about this right now. Can you go check on Jeff?"

Lizzie sighed, knowing a losing battle when she saw one. She knew that Casey would eventually tell her everything, but that right now was not the time to press the matter any further. She was hoping that Edwin would have details from Derek soon, anyway, though she doubted it.

"Fine." she said, standing up. "By the way, Cole is downstairs to see you. He said you called him, and that you sounded upset. He thought you needed someone right now."

Casey sat up a little bit straighter, hope fluttering through her. She found it amazing that her best friend was there for her, when her husband was not, and she was reminded once again of why she liked Cole so much.

"Great." she said, sounding a lot happier than she had all night. "Can you send him up to see me?"

Lizzie's jaw dropped in amazement as she realized what Casey was about to do.

"Oh, sure." she gaped. "You'll tell _Cole _what happened, but you won't tell your own sister. That's so-"

"Liz..." Casey tapered off, giving her sister a pleading look, one that signalled she was not in the mood to argue about this. "Please."

Lizzie relaxed, and nodded, turning towards the door. Casey once again appreciated just how great little sisters were, when it came to understanding.

"Cole, go help her." Casey heard Lizzie call out as she walked downstairs, sounding defeated. "Jeff, you'd better still be asleep."

Casey smiled slightly, knowing that there was no chance in hell that her two year old was asleep. Less than twenty seconds later, Cole burst through the bedroom door, looking out of breath. He spotted Casey on the bed, looking completely broken, and he kicked the door shut, darting towards her. He instantly sat down next to her, and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her tightly against his chest, letting her cry into his jacket. He ran his hand down through her hair, whispering words of comfort in her ear.

"It's okay, Casey." he assured her, rubbing her back with his free hand. "I'm here for you, I promise. Calm down. It'll all be okay."

"N-No it won't..." she tapered off, more tears escaping from her eyes. "Nothing is okay, Cole. It's never going to be okay."

"What happened?" he asked, pulling back far enough to look into her eyes. "Why are you here? Where's Derek? What's going on?"

She wiped a couple of tears away, sniffing. Cole never let her go, and she was grateful for it, because she really needed someone right now. She had missed having someone who wanted her to be happy. At that moment, all she wanted was for someone to care about her.

"I just... I left Derek." she sobbed, the words stabbing at her heart painfully.

Amazement and surprise crossed Cole's face, and she felt his body twitch around hers in shock. It was clear to her that he had never expected those words to leave her mouth at all, despite the obvious tension between the couple over the past few weeks.

"You... you _what_?" he choked out, clearly not expecting this. "Casey, why?"

"He's turning into an alcoholic, Cole." she sobbed, her heart aching painfully for Derek. "And a pretty damn agressive one, at that. He goes out every single night and gets drunk. He's never there when I go to sleep, and half the time he's not even there when I wake up. He never talks to me anymore or... or kisses me or tells me he loves me. He ignores Jeff... he's after h-hurting me, too. He's changed... so much. And I don't like the new him. He's not the guy I fell in love with."

"Case, Derek's going through a really rough time right now." Cole reminded her, holding her a bit closer, almost protectively, as though he was afraid for her.

"We're all going through a rough time, Cole." she argued, shaking her head. "And that means we should learn to count on each other even more. But he's shoving me away."

"I'm not taking sides here, Casey; I'm really not." he said slowly, looking thoughtful. "But... put yourself in Derek's position. He has a real tendency of screwing up, and he has a hard time opening up to people. You're one of the few people he can count on... maybe he's afraid that... if he's not shutting you out, he'll be letting you down again."

Casey opened her mouth to make some sort of retort, but wound up closing it again, shaking her head. She couldn't exactly believe that to be true, but she didn't want to dismiss Cole's suggestion as a possibility. She needed any excuse she could find for her husband's idiotic behaviour, lately.

"Maybe." she said slowly, looking hesitant. "But I even told him I needed him, and that he was really hurting me, and he didn't even care, Cole. Well he _told_ me that he cared, and that I was ridiculous to think otherwise. Then he said he's a man, and he's entitled to go out and drink with his friends."

Cole hesitated, looking as though he did not want to say what was on his mind.

"Well... he sort of is allowed to go out and drink, Case."

"For eighteen days?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "And to the extent that he yells at his own wife and son?"

Cole cringed, shaking his head. It was apparant that this news had just changed his mind entirely.

"No, you're right." he said, sighing. "That's taking it too far."

"I love him, Cole." she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I really do; so much. But I can't stay with him if he doesn't change back to who he was before. He's a nightmare. I'm willing to bet that he's sitting in our living room right now, half drunk. Unless he got one of his friends to drive him to a bar."

Cole was about to reply, when there came a frantic knock at the door downstairs. He sighed, releasing Casey and standing up in front of her.

"I'll go get it, alright? Lizzie's with Jeff, and everyone else is gone out. You're not in any right of mind to face anyone right now."

"Except my best friend." she said with a faint smile, as she wiped a few tears off of her cheeks.

He nodded, grinning.

"Except me." he agreed, turning towards the door. "I'll be right back."

Cole sighed, closing the door behind him, and shaking his head at the state his best friend was in. Cole loved her too, almost like a sister, and he hated to see her in so much pain. It killed him to think that she was so broken, and he couldn't really do anything about it. The only person who could do something about it was apparantly being too big of an idiot to change his ways.

He jogged down the stairs, grasping the doorknob quickly and pulling the door open after the click of the lock had sounded beneath his hand.

He found himself face to face with a very out of breath, very exhausted looking Derek, who had his hands on his knees as he bent over, attempting to catch his breath. He wasn't having much luck, and Cole stared at him for a moment, half proud that Derek had managed to show up, and half hit with the urge to hit him for all he'd done to Casey.

"Derek, man..." he said, shaking his head at his friend, who finally straightened up to eye level with him.

He grabbed the collar of Derek's jacket, hauling him inside the porch frantically, and shutting the door behind him. Derek was still trying to breathe, and did not respond. Cole allowed him a moment to gather himself, before giving him a curious look, and speaking up.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked when Derek straightened up again, his breathing slowly steadying out, but his chest still heaving with difficulty. He had said no more, when Derek shoved past him, his eyes darting around madly as though he were looking for something, or someone.

"She's here." Derek said, walking through the house frantically, checking every single corner and doorway. "I know she's here, somewhere."

"Who, Casey?" Cole asked, following Derek, and scratching the back of his neck absent-mindedly.

"No, the friggin' Easter Bunny." Derek retorted, shaking his head angrily. "Yes Casey, you moron. Now where is she?"

"Upstairs. Her old room." he directed, jerking his thumb towards the ceiling. "But Derek-"

Derek went to brush past him and go upstairs when Cole reached out, grabbing his sleeve and hauling him back towards him. He wasn't about to let Derek anywhere near Casey without a promise that he wasn't going to do anything idiotic... well, anymore idiotic than Derek usually was, anyway.

"Derek... you've gotta stop." he warned him, not letting go of his jacket. "You're hurting her. You really are. She's a mess right now and... and..."

"And I plan on fixing that." Derek informed him, shrugging out of his grasp. "I won't say anything stupid, Cole. I promise."

Cole appeared hesitant, but he nodded, and allowed Derek to go past him. He watched him go, shaking his head sadly. Those two had so much to work out, and he wasn't so sure that Casey would even forgive him.

He sighed. He might as well go help Lizzie with Jeff. Casey and Derek needed alone time. And with them, arguments could last a couple of hours.

- - - -

Casey pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes, breathing in deeply. She couldn't believe how empty she felt. Leaving Derek had been such a hard thing to do. She kept seeing the hurt and shame that had been in his eyes as he handed her the car keys, and let her go. She fully understood that it had been a very hard thing for him to do. It'd been hard for her to turn her back on him, as well. She knew that this wasn't her fault, and that Derek had created this mess himself... but she loved him, and she still hated seeing him hurt.

And if this was what life without him was going to be like, she wasn't too sure she could do it.

She was just wondering where Cole had gotten to, when the door burst open, and Derek practically fell inside, catching himself on the edge of her dresser before he fell. She wasn't sure if this was due to his rush, or if he was drunk, but the moment she caught sight of the look on his face, she knew that he hadn't been drinking yet.

She sat up a little bit straighter, surprised by her visitor.

"Derek?" she asked, watching as he straightened up, closing the door behind him. "How did you get here? I took the car with me."

"Yeah I know... I walked..." he trailed off for a moment. "...ran... something. It doesn't even matter, I-"

"You walked all the way from our house?"

"Ran."

"Derek, that's like... a forty five minute walk." she pointed out, shocked that he had come all this way just to talk to her. She was impressed, but that definitely did not make up for everything he had done to her.

"Thirty five when you're running." he shrugged. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. I need you to come home, Casey."

"Why?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. "Need someone to clean up after you when you're drunk?"

Hurt flashed across Derek's features, and he cringed.

"I deserve that." he admitted quietly, glancing away. "In fact... I probably deserve to have you shun me from your life for good...but I don't want you to. I don't deserve you, but I want another chance."

"At what?"

"At... changing." he shrugged. "I've been a jerk to you, Casey. A huge jerk."

"A massive jerk." she put in, glaring at him. "A cocky bastard, an agressive drunk, a stuck up and arrogant slob."

"Thank you, I get the point." he mumbled, blushing. "Fact is, I just... I need you in my life. And not for the reasons you think. I need you because I love you to death. I may not have showed you that enough since Jay left, and I am so, so sorry for that. If there's one thing I hate, it's you feeling insecure about our relationship... and I know that's all you've been feeling lately."

"Along with anger, disdain, shame, lonliness."

"Please stop." he begged, cringing. "Please. I know I've been an idiot, okay? I know how I've made you feel. You don't need to tell me any of these things, because I already know. And I'm trying to apologize."

"Well I don't want to hear it." she said confidently, turning her head away from him. "You keep apologizing for your actions, but you do nothing to change them. That only tells me that you're not really sorry for any of it, Derek, and that you don't really mean it."

He stared at her for a moment, his eyes fearful, before sitting down on the edge of the bed, right next to her. He tried to look her in the eye, but she purposely turned her head away, staring blankly at the wall.

"Look at me." he requested, his voice soft and gentle, yet demanding. "Casey? Please look at me."

She kept her eyes focused on the wall, not willing to listen to a word he said. She'd been listening to him for much too long now, and it had brought her here, broken hearted. She wasn't about to let him lure her into another false sense of security.

He reached out, gripping her chin gently, and he pressed his lips to hers, needing to feel her kiss.

A swift slap across the face told him that she didn't want to be kissed, and she wasn't forgiving him that easily. He winced at her slap. She had good aim; he had always known that about her. He just hated it when he had to be reminded of that firsthand. And not just because it hurt, though it did; but because she only ever slapped him when he'd really pissed her off. And he hated being the source of her pain.

"Don't fucking kiss me, Derek." she snapped, shaking her head in disgust. "You think you can kiss me and everything will be just fine again? That you're that amazing of a kisser that all my worries just float away the second you make a move on me? Well it doesn't work that way."

"What do I have to say?" he asked desperately, taking her hand in his urgently. He was shocked and relieved when she didn't pull away. "What do I have to do to make you forgive me?"

"If you knew me at all, you'd already know." she said, sounding disappointed.

Derek cursed silently, squeezing her hand angrily. She winced, and he instantly loosened his grip, kissing her hand gently.

"I know you better than anyone else knows you." he assured her, nodding. "But I can't possibly know what every thought that runs through your head."

She shrugged.

"You should know this." she said, sounding firmly confident. "It's not that hard to figure out."

Derek was silent, contemplating her words over and over in his head. Finally, he sighed, an understanding look dawning across his features.

"You want me to stop drinking, don't you?"

She sniffed, raising her eyes to his slowly, the tiniest hint of hope playing in her gaze.

"Th-That'd be a good place to start." she agreed, nodding her head. "I mean... do you understand how difficult it is to live with someone who acts like they don't even care?"

Derek ducked his head, ashamed. She felt his hand twitch within her own, and she knew he was articulately remorseful for his recent actions.

"I'm not coming back until you stop, Derek." she said, trying to stay strong. "I love you, but I can't be with you until you're ready to face this whole mess together as a couple... not seperately."

"I'll stop." he whispered fearfully. "Whatever it takes... I mean... I'm willing... I..."

"You don't sound too certain..." Casey started, frowning. She stared at him for a moment, as though thinking hard about what she was about to say, and finally, she came to some conclusion. For some reason, Derek had the feeling he wasn't going to like what she was about to tell him.

"Derek... I can't take this anymore." she whispered, biting on her lower lip nervously. "I love you, I really do... but..."

"But what?" Derek questioned, taking her hand gently in his. He rubbbed tiny circles on her wrist with the pad of his thumb, trying to ease her into telling him what was on her mind.

"Come on, Casey, what is it?" he asked, more nervous than ever, but needing to know where their relationship was going from there, if anywhere. "You can tell me."

She bit her lip, looking deep into his eyes, and drawing in a shaky breath. Every moment of their relationship was flooding back to her in one big wave, and she wondered if she should take all of the positive memories that were coming back to her as some sort of a sign that she shouldn't do what she was about to do, but she knew that she couldn't take anymore of the fighting, and the emotional turmoil that Derek had been forcing her to go through lately. There was only one option, and Casey knew that she'd have to take it. If she didn't, they'd end up worse off than they were right now, and she didn't want that.

"I want a divorce, Derek." she said, fighting back the tears as she felt Derek's hand stiffen in her own. He began to shake his head, but she ignored his protests. "I love you, but it's becoming quite clear to me that this fighting... it isn't temporary. I put off leaving in the hopes that everything would just... fix itself, that we'd be okay. But I can see now that it's not going to stop, and that getting a divorce may be the only way out of this mess."

Derek was shaking violently now, but his violence was not towards Casey, this time. It was merely an outward display of his own pain and suffering. For one of the few times in his life, there were tears in his eyes as he shook his head at her, willing to beg her not to do this.

"Casey, no." he pleaded, desperate now. "Please, don't do this. You can't do this."

She bit her lip to keep from crying, but it wasn't working at all, and Derek reached out to brush away a lonely tear that had escaped from her eyes. She sobbed gently, and he gathered her in his arms, holding her against his chest in a sad attempt to stop himself from crying.

"Please, rethink this." he whispered against her ear, feeling like the most pathetic person in the world for begging a girl to take him back, but somehow not caring. He could feel her shaking her head against his chest, and he felt his heart shatter into a million little pieces. Pieces that only Casey could fit back together.

"I have to do this." she informed him as he held her head against his chest. "If I stay, and we let the fighting continue... I could end up hating you, and... I don't want to hate you. I'd never want to hate you. For both of our sakes, and for Jeff's. Imagine what that poor child's life would be like if he grew up with two parents who hated each other."

"I could never hate you." Derek argued, shaking his head. "And, word of advice, growing up with divorced parents won't help Jeff either. How the hell did you like it when your parents divorced?"

"We don't have to make it hard on him, Derek." she assured him, shaking her head as she pulled back a little. "We could have joint custody of him, we wouldn't live far from each other, and I'm sure we'd get along perfectly fine.."

"_No_!" Derek protested, gripping her chin. "Do you hear me? I'm saying no! None of that will matter without having you as my wife. Jesus, Casey. I love you. _I love you_! Does that mean nothing to you, right now?"

His hand continued to grip her chin tightly as she stared into his eyes, as though unsure that he was telling her the truth. She snifffed a couple of times, attempting to gather up enough courage to speak.

"D-Derek, I just... I need.." she started, but was cut off when Cole barged in, his face white with terror. Casey and Derek both looked up at their friend, noticing his obvious fear. He stood there for a moment, unable to speak clearly, or so it seemed.

"Cole?" Casey asked, scrunching up her eyebrows in confusion. "What is it? You look like you just saw a-"

"I'm sorry for interrupting, I really am." he cut her off, panting for breath. His entire body was shaking fearfully and he gripped the doorway for support. "It's... it's Kallie... she's...she got taken to..."

Casey dropped Derek's hands and jumped up, crossing the room to get to her best friend before the poor boy collapsed. He had trailed off, unable to continue with his sentence, and she steadied him as best as she could, her forehead creased with worry.

"Cole, calm down and tell me what happened." Casey said, trying to steady him. "You said something about Kallie?"

Cole gulped, and nodded, his face still an alarming display of white.

"Her... her mother just called... she tripped coming down over the stairs. She fell and got knocked unconcious and she just got rushed to emergency."

Casey's hand covered her mouth in shock and dismay as she struggled to absorb this information. Derek stood up and crossed the room to stand next to Casey. She barely noticed his arm slide around her waist, and she didn't have the patience to shove him away at the moment. There were more important things to figure out right about now.

"Cole, this is all my fault." she choked out, disgusted with herself. "If I hadn't of called you-"

"Casey, that's ridiculous." Cole said, shaking his head firmly. "It could've happened whether I was there or not. Besides, I was planning on going out anyway. This isn't your fault, I promise."

Casey didn't look convinced, but she nodded, swallowing nervously. A worried look crossed her face and she frowned.

"What about... what about the baby?" she asked, terrified. "Did Kallie's mother tell you whether or not it..."

Cole shook his head, breathing heavily. She had a feeling that this thought hadn't exactly occured to him yet, through his worry for his girlfriend, and she realized that she had probably just doubled his concerns.

"N-No." he said, running a hand through his hair. "She doesn't know. Nobody told her anything. They just called her and said to get over to the hospital as soon as possible."

Casey nodded, and reached over onto the dresser for her purse. Fishing her car keys out of the front pocket, she grabbed Cole's hand, shifting away from Derek's hold without even realizing it.

"Let's go." she said, dragging him from the room and down the stairs. He followed along hesitantly, as though unsure that Casey should be going along in her current emotional state.

"Casey, I've... I've got a car." Cole said, as Derek stuck his hands in his pocket and followed along behind them, looking fairly lonely and worthless in this whole ordeal. "I don't need you to drive me. You don't even have to go. You and Derek..." he said, glancing at the other man as they stopped at the foot of the stairs. "You two have got a lot to work out. I respect that. You should stay here, Case. You've got your own family issues right now."

Casey gave Cole a soft smile.

"I know." she said, squeezing his hand gently. "And by going with you, I am tending to my family. You know you're like a brother to me, Cole. You need support. Please... let me go with you."

Cole looked hesitant, shooting a furtive glance at Derek, who was staring uncertainly at Casey, as though he was still unsure of where he stood with her.

"What about you two?" Cole asked, still unsure about allowing her to go along. "I mean... you've got alot to work out."

Casey shook her head, throwing an angry glare in Derek's direction.

"We don't have anything to work out, as far as I'm concerned." she growled, causing Derek to cringe. "He's clearly not the same man I fell in love with. It's over."

Terror flickered across Derek's face, almost as though he was unsure of the exact meaning of her statement. He had hoped that he had installed a little bit of reluctance in her a few moments ago, when he had assured her that he loved her, but now, he wasn't so sure. He shifted his feet uncomfortably, his hands still buried within his pockets.

"C-Casey, I... what do you..."

"Are you honestly this selfish, Derek?" Casey spat out, glaring at him. "Kallie's in the _hospital. _Her life, and the life of their child, is at risk here. How can you be worried about-"

She trailed off when she noticed how badly Cole's hand had started shaking within her own upon her words. She realized that he just needed to be near Kallie right now, and chose not to finish her sentence. Giving Cole's hand a reassuring squeeze, she gave Derek a look that clearly said 'not now', before turning towards the door, and yanking it open. She paused long enough to glance back at Derek, who was still standing akwardly on the bottom landing of the stairs, as though he was unsure of where to go.

She nodded towards him, no hint of a smile on her face.

"If you're coming, then hurry." she warned him, before exiting the house, dragging a completely nerve-wracked Cole out behind her.

It only took two seconds for Derek to be out the door behind them, making his way to the car.

* * *

**You seen it coming, didn't you Allie:) Anyway, if I get enough reviews I'll post again tomorrow. If not, then I shall hold it hostage. Hehe, I'm so mean. **


	30. Road to Recovery

**Le chapter :) Review, please.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Chapter Thirty: Road to Recovery**

"We're here to see Kallie Bennett." Casey said to the woman at the front desk of emergency. "She got admitted about an hour ago?"

The woman at the front desk nodded, typing furiously at her computer. Casey raised an eyebrow, waiting expectantly for the room number, and after a moment, the woman looked back up at them and nodded down a hallway to Derek's right.

"Room two-twelve." she informed them, sounding unphased. "You can go on in. The doctor's aren't in there, anymore. Dr.Morgan should be in soon to fill you in on a couple of things."

Casey nodded and thanked the woman, before turning and leading both men down the hallway, scanning the numbers on the doors for the correct room. When she found it, she turned to Cole, wanting to allow him the chance to visit Kallie alone, if it was what he wanted.

"Do you want to go in by yourself?" she asked, keeping her voice gentle. "We can stay out here, if you'd rather have some quiet time with her."

"No," Cole said desperately, shaking his head. "I want you guys in there. She's your best friend, too."

Casey nodded, glancing back at Derek as she opened up the door.

"You coming in with us?" she asked, sounding a lot more sociable than she had before. He appeared hesitant, and she sighed, relaxing a bit. "Come on, Derek. She's your friend, isn't she?"

Derek didn't have to think twice. Without another thought, he allowed himself to brush past her, entering the room behind Cole, who found his way to Kallie's bedside, and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He glanced down at her pale face, where her eyes were shut tightly. Her hair was slightly messed up, and Casey could see that a patch of skin underneath her right ear had been stitched. She could only guess that Kallie had cut herself when falling, like Casey had so recently. She lay completely motionless on the bed, not making a sound. She looked so peaceful, yet so helpless.

Casey watched with great sadness as Cole took Kallie's hand in his own, kissing it gently. He used his free hand to brush the hair away from her closed eyelids. He sighed sadly, and Casey glanced back at Derek, whose eyes were widened with horror. Derek had never been one to handle seeing someone he cared about in pain, and she could only guess that this was no different.

"Actually... I need a moment..." Cole trailed off, his eyes never leaving Kallie's face. "Just to... please?"

Casey and Derek didn't need to be told twice. Casey nodded, mumbling something about how she completely understood, before exiting the room behind Derek, closing the door quietly behind them. Derek sighed as her hand left the doorknob, and he leaned back against the wall, allowing his head to fall back against the surface. He blew out a slow and patient breath, looking completely stressed out. Casey was going to question why he was so upset, but the answer was pretty obvious. Between what had just happened to Kallie, and the fact that their relationship was pretty much in ruins, she could see why he was so distressed. She had to bite back a smile though, for the look on Derek's face reminded her exactly of Jeff when he wasn't in a good mood. The only difference was that Derek's pain was real, whereas Jeff's was usually based on not getting a cookie before dinner, or having to wait in a lineup at the grocery store with Casey.

As her mind travelled back to her son, she gasped.

"Jeff!" she breathed out, digging into her pocket for her cellphone. "I completely forgot to tell Lizzie where we were going. What if she leaves the house? Oh my God, what if-"

"Casey!" Derek cried, wrapping his fingers around her wrist gently. She stopped panicking, and looked up into his eyes. He gave her a reassuring look, before allowing his fingers to leave her wrist. "Relax, okay? I called Lizzie in the car. You probably never noticed because you were comforting Cole. She said it's fine, she'll just take Jeff back to her place later on tonight, if we aren't back by then."

Casey drew in a deep breath, nodding. Derek noticed her obvious discomfort, and stood up a little straighter, placing a hand on her lower back and rubbing it gently in an attempt to calm her.

"You okay?" he asked, moving closer so she was pressed up against his side.

She gave him a strange look, anger clear in her features.

"No, Derek. I'm not okay." she snapped, folding her arms across her chest, and pulling away from his hand. "Our relationship is going straight down the drain, our son is gone, one of my best friends is in the hospital, the life of her unborn baby could be at risk, and my other best friend is emotionally stressed. Does it _sound _like I'd be okay?"

Derek winced, but shook his head, swallowing hard.

"I guess not." he said slowly, looking as though he was unsure of which matter he should address first. Upon deciding, he cleared his throat. "I can understand why Cole's so upset though. I mean... if that were you in there, I'd be freaking out right about now. Cole's actually doing pretty good, in my opinion."

Casey softened a bit at the fearful look in his eyes, but didn't let him off the hook that easily. She bit her lower lip thoughtfully, trying to think of what to say, when he spoke up.

"I already lost Jayden," Derek whipered, sounding terrified. She looked up to see him staring at her with an utmost look of regret in his eyes. "I don't want to lose you, too."

She saw how desperate he looked, and she felt some of her anger ebb away despite herself.

"Please don't leave me." he begged her, shaking a little bit. "I'm sorry for everything I've been putting you through lately, and I swear I'm going to change. I've just been so... so lost. I mean, I've had Jay with me since before we even got back together. I've known the kid since he was two. And now... not having him around... it's just so... I don't know. I can't explain it. All I know is I can't lose you and Jeff; not now."

"I meant what I said, Derek." she said, shaking her head. "I want a divorce. I don't want to be with you, if it means putting up with all of this fighting and pain. I've had enough. I've put up with as much as I could take, and I can't take anymore of it. I want out."

"You can't just divorce me." he said, shaking his head. "You're honestly telling me that you can throw away everything we've been through, kiss it all goodbye? We've got a _son_ together, Casey."

"I'm not like Natalie." she reminded him, attempting to put some of his worries at rest. "I'm not going to take him from you. I'm willing to share joint custody, as long as you aren't drunk when you have him."

"I don't want joint custody, Casey." he said, determination in his voice. "Please, just... don't decide this yet. Take some time to think about it, consider the other possibilites... anything but this..."

She lowered her gaze to the floor, attempting to find another solution to their problem. She could only think of one, and she had to admit that she was willing to try it, seeing as she didn't exactly want to just throw everything away, either.

"I'm not coming back until you change." she whispered. "When you start changing, maybe I'll come back."

"Casey-" Derek started, but she cut him off.

"I need some time away from you, okay?" she whispered, ducking her head. "You said anything but divorce, and I choose a break. You can't argue with me about that."

"Yes I can." he defended, shaking his head. "You're coming home, Casey. And you're bringing Jeff back, too. I don't care. You think some time apart will help us, I think it'll just make things worse. People say they're taking a break, and then they both move on and find other people to-"

"No." Casey argued, shaking her head, fear flickering through her eyes. "There could never be anyone else, Derek. For me, anyway. I don't know about you, but-"

"Never." he agreed, shaking his head, and reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist. "No one else could give me what you do. And maybe I don't deserve everything you give me. Maybe I don't even deserve you. In fact, I know I don't, but I love you anyway. And, Casey, if you leave, I don't know what I'd do."

Casey ducked her head, not looking him in the eye. She allowed him to pull her a little bit closer, so that she was pressed up against his chest. She made no movement to wrap her own arms around him, merely allowed him to do so.

"I don't want to go home if you guys don't come home with me." he whispered, his eyes scanning her face desperately. "The house feels lonely enough without Jay. I can't stand you guys being gone, too. You know I don't like to be a sentimental kind of person, but dammit, when the stability of my entire life is threatened, I've got to be. I need you and Jeff to come home with me." he finished, looking absolutely terrified of his own situation. "Please, Casey..."

She glanced up into his eyes, and she saw how much truth and regret was in his eyes, almost as though he was well aware of how much he'd hurt her. And he was sorry for it; she knew he was. But something in her just couldn't forgive him right away. Something told her to hold out, to make sure that this was what she wanted. Going back would be too final, too soon. And she really needed to think about it.

"I need a break, Derek." she said, shaking her head. "A seperation. Just give me some time. A few weeks, maybe not even that long. It could only take a day or two."

"But I-"

"If you love me, let me do this." she begged, gripping his hand tightly. "Please. Like I said, I don't want to end up hating you. If I go back now, I'm going to be unhappy. So if you want me to be happy, then let me have some time."

Derek thought long and hard, drawing in shuddery breaths to try and keep himself from breaking down. He didn't want her to go. He was terrified that, despite what she said, she'd find someone else, or realize that she was better off without him. But he loved her, and he didn't want her to be unhappy, so he forced himself to nod, knowing that he had to do this, to be a good husband.

"Okay." he said, reluctance shining through. "A break. But... a break means no seeing other people, right?"

She nodded, holding up her hand, which displayed her wedding ring.

"We're married, Derek." she reminded him. "I'm not about to go off and kiss some other guy, just because we're having a temporary seperation."

He forced himself to smile, half out of humor, and half out of relief, and he sighed, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Where are you going to go?" he asked her curiously, not wanting her to go anywhere. "Or do you want me to go? I can go, and you and Jeff can stay... it might be easier."

"Maybe you should go." she said slowly, looking him in the eye. "You could crash at Sam's, and I don't want Jeff to have to leave home." she explained, and fear flashed through his eyes. "-except for going with you." she finished, knowing what he was afraid of. "Like I said, you can take him as much as you want. I'm not going to be cruel about it. He's your son, too."

Derek nodded slowly, brushing her hair away from her forehead, and kissing the spot that had been covered. He leaned down, lowering his lips onto hers slowly softly, wanting to make this one kiss count for something, since he didn't know how long it would be until he got to kiss her again. He was half surprised when she responded to it, pulling him a little closer, and he relished in the feeling of her lips caressing his with as much passion as he was exerting.

When he pulled back, he was reluctant to let her go, but she took a step backwards, and his hands fell to his sides. He quickly stuffed them into his pockets, taking a deep breath.

"I love you." he reminded her, his voice filled with honesty. "I hope that letting you go will... you know, help you get over... whatever it is... you... well..."

She nodded, understanding what he was trying to say.

"Like I said, I don't care if you come by to see him." she said, wrapping her arms around herself, finding herself cold without Derek's arms around her. "I'm going to go down to the cafeteria and get something for Cole. I'll uh, I'll be back soon."

He nodded, and watched as she walked away. The second she had rounded the corner, he felt himself overflow with anger and anguish, and he slumped down against the wall, his head in his hands. He didn't cry. Derek Venturi only cried on rare occurances, and he'd already cried when Casey had walked out on him. He couldn't bring himself to cry this time, for he knew that they were doing this for the best. Casey was doing this because she loved him, and she wanted it to stay that way, and he'd have to trust in that.

- - - -

It was announced shortly after Casey returned from the cafeteria that night that the baby was going to be perfectly okay. Kallie had still been unconcious at the time, but she had woken up the next morning, terrified about the well-being of her child. Casey had never seen Cole as happy as he was when Kallie opened her eyes again. The whole night, the doctors had warned him that she had sustained a bad enough head injury that she was in danger of a coma, so he was relieved when she was released from hospital two days after her accident.

Derek had returned to the house on that first night and gathered some of his things, saying a quick goodbye to Casey, knowing that if he lingered, he'd never leave. The first night had been brutal on both of them, and Casey had been forced to stop herself from calling Derek about twelve times. Three times, she had actually dialed the first six digits of Sam's number, and then hung up. Little did she know, Derek had been doing the same thing the whole night through, all the while lying on Sam's couch and attempting to get some sleep. He had found himself getting up every two minutes to grab his wallet, and take a glimpse at the picture of Casey inside. It was as though he was trying to punish himself for letting such a beautiful and amazing girl such as Casey, go. Finally, he had just taken it, and tucked it in the pocket of his jeans, which he'd slept in.

It had taken a very large amount of self-restraint not to take advantage of Sam's liquor storage, just to take his mind off of Casey.

The second night hadn't been much easier. Casey had been distraught, after a day of explaining to Jeff why his father wasn't there. He said that his father was just going to be away for a little while, but that he would be coming to visit him the next day. He had called her that morning, and they had both agreed to just spend the day apart, despite how much they both missed each other. They needed to get the feel of this whole break situation, and to do that, they needed some real time apart.

So on the third day, Derek was up bright and early, rushing around Sam's apartment to get ready to go home for awhile. He kept having to remind himself that he was there to see Jeff, not Casey. But as much as he loved his son and wanted to see him, he felt himself dying to just see her again. It'd only been a day and a half, and he was going insane. He felt like some sort of drug addict on withdrawl. He was nervous and jumpy, and by the time he left the apartment, Sam was still asleep.

Sam had given him permission to borrow his car, so he took that over to their house, parking in the driveway on back of his own car. Jumping out, he practically ran to the door, and let himself in, closing it behind him.

"Anyone up?" he called out, trying not to be too loud in case they were both asleep.

But a moment later, Casey appeared in the doorway, still wearing her pink pajama pants and a purple tank top. Derek smiled at the sight of her, having been deprived of her presence for two days, and he took a step towards her, giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek. She wrapped one arm around his neck in a one-armed hug, and then pulled back, finding this just as akward as he was.

"You're here awfully early." she noted, glancing down at her watch. "It's only nine thirty."

Derek shrugged, allowing his hands to slip into his jacket pockets as he slouched over slightly.

"I woke up a little early today, and decided it was worth a try to come over and see if you were awake yet."

She studied him up and down for a moment, and he immediately knew what she was trying to do, though he did not want to be the one to bring it up. Luckily, he didn't have to, for she brought it up herself.

"Have you been out drinking, since?" she asked, knowing that he knew that 'since', meant since their break had begun three days ago.

He was suddenly very glad that he had not taken any of Sam's alchohol, for now he could tell Casey the absolute truth, without having to say he had gotten drunk. He smiled, standing up a little straighter, quite proud of himself.

"Haven't touched the stuff." he said truthfully, and he thought he saw her smile a tiny bit, though when he blinked again, she was just watching him with a hint of pride. "It's been hard, not having anything to take my mind off Jayden, and now being away from you two, but I kept reminding myself that I had to do this for you. And if you don't believe me, ask Sam. He'll tell you that I-"

"Derek!" she said, wrapping her fingers around his wrist as he began to panic, thinking that she would not believe him. He trailed off, his mouth still half open, and she smiled softly, bringing their hands back down in front of them and uncurling her fingers from his wrist. He watched her nervously, worried that she did not believe him, but she shook her head.

"I believe you, okay?" she assured him truthfully. "I know you wouldn't lie to me about something like this. It's okay. And just so you know, I'm very proud of you for not drinking at all in the past few days. That shows real maturity- that you're giving up drinking so quickly.

Derek shrugged, shuffling his feet against the floor akwardly. His head was bowed downwards, and he blushed furiously as he responded.

"Well, you know, getting back to you and Jeff is more important to me than alcohol." he said, shrugging. "I just really need to get my act together. and... you made me recognize that." he told her, his eyes meeting with hers quickly. She smiled a little, pleased by his progress. "You really scared me, when you told me you wanted a divorce, Casey." he said, his voice shaking, and she could tell that he really meant that, that he had honestly been frightened by her words.

"I mean, a break, no matter how hard, I can handle. Because I know that you'll more than likely take me back. But a divorce... ending our marriage for good, it was just... I don't even want to think about it. It just shook me up entirely, and it was like I was powerless."

"Well that was what it took to wake you up to what an asshole you've been." she said, shrugging slightly. "Thinking on it now, I don't know if I would've been able to go through with the divorce. I might have been rushing things a little when I said that, but don't get me wrong. If things got that bad, I'd find the courage it took to leave you. So don't think that means you can turn back into a jerk."

He shook his head, looking fairly releived by the fact that she felt a divorce might have been due to some overreacting on her part. But she didn't have to worry- he had no plans to treat her badly ever again. He was about to respond, when his eyes fell to her arms, exposed by tank top, and he took a step forwards, grabbing one of them and examining it with horror.

"Casey, what the hell happened to your arms?" he asked, noting the bruises that were marked on the upper parts of both limbs, and, as he averted his gaze downwards, he saw them on her wrists as well. He reached down and held onto her wrist gently, examining the damage.

"What'd you do?"

He did not let go as he looked up into her eyes, and the moment that he saw the look she was wearing in her eyes, he knew the answer. And he hated it. He hated himself.

"Like I said, you're a pretty agressive drunk." she said quietly, a sad sort of smile on her face, one that tore at Derek's heart. He stared at her for a moment, taking in the fact that he had been the one to hurt her. After a moment, he dropped her wrist, and pulled her to him in a hug, rubbing her back gently. She considered pulling away, for this was a break, and she didn't want to chance giving him the wrong impression. But she understood that Derek was trying to apologize to her for hurting her, and she felt that she should allow him the chance to do that.

"I'm so, so sorry for hurting you." he murmered, his eyes closed as he buried his face against her hair gently. "I'd never, ever want to inflict pain on you and... I know I have. I can see that, now. I'm going to change. I promise you I'm going to change. I'll stop drinking, I'll control my anger... anything it takes. And I swear I'm not just saying it this time, I actually mean it." he said, and she closed her eyes to prevent herself from crying. She had wanted to hear those words from his mouth for over a month now, and now that she had, she was having trouble believing that this was real, that maybe all of this pain was actually over. She was almost scared to believe it.

"I've been a jerk to you, Casey. A huge jerk, and I know no amount of apologizing can ever make up for it. But I hope that you can forgive me anyway, or at least move on from it. Because I am never going to get violent with you ever again. It kills me to think that I was such a hypocrite. I spend my time protecting you from anyone who wants to hurt you, and then I do this to you. It's not right, and it's not going to happen again. You can trust that."

"I hope so." she said, not entirely sure of whether or not to believe him, but praying desperately that he was telling her the truth. "I'm giving you a chance, so don't blow it."

"I won't." he said, shaking his head, sounding entirely truthful. He took a deep breath, before pulling back a little bit. "Now, that's enough emotions for one day. Honest to God, you've made me break my own rules about twenty times this week. I resent that. Now, do you have any food?"

She looked up into his eyes, smiling a little bit. She gave a choked laugh, wiping a lone tear away from her eyes, and nodding.

"I find it amazing how even when you're not technically living here, you manage to hog all the food." she noted, taking a step away from him. He blinked at her, clearly not seeing her point, and she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I was making breakfast anyway." she said, laughing. "You can have some while you wait for Jeff to get up."

She turned and made her way into the kitchen, with Derek following along behind her. The second he walked into the kitchen, he could smell bacon and eggs, and he grinned, taking a seat at the bar stool closest to him, propping one elbow up on the counter as Casey made her way to the stove to turn off the burner.

"You must have known I'd be here early." he grinned as she moved the pan to an unused burner. "I mean, come on. Bacon and eggs? I love it."

"So does your son." she reminded him, laughing. "Hence why I made it. Not to mention Cole is dropping over with Kallie soon, so I wanted to get breakfast out of the way. That way, I can clean up, and go get ready."

Derek shrugged, standing up and making his way over next to her. He grabbed a piece of bacon off of the frying pan, much to her dismay, and popped it into his mouth.

"You go get ready." he said, taking the pan from her and laying it down on the burner. "I'll clean up for you."

Casey bit her lower lip, looking fairly hesitant about this. He could tell that she was debating getting everything done early, or having to do it all herself. She looked him in the eye, frowning slightly.

"What about if Jeff wakes up?" she asked, sounding reluctant. "What will he-"

"If Jeff wakes up, I'll get his breakfast for him, and make sure he gets cleaned up." Derek shrugged, grabbing a plate from the cupboard and spooning some food onto it carefully. "Don't you worry. Go get your shower and get ready, alright?"

She hesitated, but nodded slowly, smiling a little.

"Alright." she said, taking a step backwards. "Jeff should call out when he wakes up. Just go and get him and tell him that I'll be downstairs soon, alright?"

"Mommyyyy..." came a sleepy cry from upstairs, and Casey laughed, giving Derek a playful shoulder shove.

"And there's your cue, superstar. I'm going to go get in the shower. If I go see him now, I won't escape for another half an hour."

"I'll take care of it." he said, shaking his head. "You go on. You don't mind if I stay to see Kallie though, do you? I haven't seen her since she woke up, and I didn't think Cole would want us going along when she got released this morning. I'd really like to see her, you know?"

Casey nodded, understanding that Derek would want to see Kallie as well, seeing as they were great friends. She didn't really mind Derek staying for a little while. She had told him that he could spend some time with Jeff, and she knew that he couldn't do both if he took Jeff out. Staying seemed like the logical thing to do.

"You can stay to see Kallie, Derek." she told him, nodding. She saw the delight in his eyes when he realized that he could stay longer, and she knew instantly what was running through his mind.

"But you're mainly here to see Jeff, so I want you to pay attention to him. Don't spend all your time around me, okay? I want you to spend some time with your son."

His face fell slightly at her almost negative remark, but he nodded, swallowing hard.

"Mommy!" came the cry from upstairs again, and Casey sighed, giving Derek a motivational push towards the doorway, wanting him to go and answer to Jeff's calls.

"Go see your son." she said, taking a step backwards. "He's been asking for you since you left, you know. You mean alot to that kid. Don't let him down."

Derek forced out a half smile, nodding slightly. He had absolutely no intentions on letting his son down. He had missed the kid like crazy over the past two days. He missed having a rambunctious little two year come running towards him, tagging along behind him, and annoying him to no end.

So he nodded at Casey and turned, making his way quickly upstairs towards the son he'd missed so much over the past few days.

He heard Casey come up the stairs almost directly behind him, but she made her way towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Derek stopped outside Jeff's doorway, drawing in a deep breath. He vowed to himself to be as kind as he could to the poor boy, for he had let him down so much over the past little while.

He pushed Jeff's door open, and glanced across the room to see his two year old standing up in his bed, hanging over the gaurdrails, looking bored and annoyed that nobody had come to get him yet. When he looked up and saw his father there, his eyes lit up with excitement, and he straightened up, a huge grin on his face. Despite the fact that his father had been acting differently towards him and his mother for the past few days, Derek knew that Jeff was just happy to see him after almost three days of absence.

"Daddy!" he cried happily, jumping up with his arms outstretched towards Derek.

Derek was instantly flooded with happiness, and he crossed the room, pushing Jeff's gaurdrails down and lifting him up gently into his arms, hugging him tight.

"Hey buddy." he said quietly, amazed at how much he had missed his son without even realizing it. He smoothed Jeff's hair back as he held him a bit farther away to examine him. "Have you been a good boy for Mommy while I was gone?"

Jeff grinned, shaking his head proudly, and Derek chuckled, knowing that he had raised a smart kid. Jeff knew how to keep Casey busy, that was for sure. He had learned from the best, after all.

"That's my boy." Derek said proudly, taking him from the room, and making his way downstairs. "Do you want some breakfast?"

Jeff nodded, still a little bit sleepy, and Derek went into the kitchen, securing Jeff on the counter, making sure he wasn't too close to the edge.

"Don't you jump off of there." he warned his son, before heading over to the cupboard, and taking down a red plastic plate with a smiley face on it. He placed the plate down on the counter, and began to take up small portions of each type of food for Jeff. He stuck some bread in the toaster and popped it down, making sure to put the setting on low. Jeff hated having his toast burnt. Derek leaned against the counter, trapping Jeff in with his arms on either side of the boy.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and hoping that Jeff hadn't been so distant from him that he had appreciated his father's absence.

But much to Derek's relief, Jeff nodded his head, frowning slightly.

"Where you go?" he asked, sadness lingering in his voice.

Derek felt his heart clench for the kid, and he struggled to come up with an answer that would make some sense to the kid. He didn't want to come right out and say 'me and your mother are taking a break', but he knew that he had to tell him some version of the truth.

"I'm staying at Sam's, buddy." he said, watching as the toast popped up out of the toaster. He took it, and laid it down against the plate as he searched for the butter. Finding it in the fridge, he took the lid off and began to butter some toast.

"Why?" Jeff asked, pouting. "Work?"

Derek knew that Jeff was thinking of the few times that he'd stayed at Sam's for work purposes. Sam's girlfriend Kiera was an actress, a local one, but she was good. Derek, when making commercials for his film company, often got Kiera to star in them, because she was willing to do it for half price. He would often be working on his scripts, or attempting to get scenes edited together just right, late into the night, and would wind up crashing at Sam's for awhile.

But today was different.

"No, bud." Derek said, shaking his head. "It wasn't for work. Me and your mother, we... um... we needed some... some space."

Jeff frowned, glancing around the house curiously. Derek could tell he was thinking hard, and a moment later, he shrugged his shoulders as though he did not understand what his father was trying to say.

"Lots'a space!" he said, gesturing around the house and Derek almost laughed at his son's interpretation of his words. He shook his head, not really wanting to explain the truth, but knowing he had to.

"That's not what I meant, Jeff." he said, sighing. He placed the lid on the butter again, and placed each of his hands on either side of Jeff, leaning forwards to look him in the eye. "Me and your Mom... we've... well, I'm sure you've noticed that we have been fighting alot, right?"

It broke Derek's heart when Jeff frowned sadly, and nodded his head, his lower lip quivering a bit at the mention of his parent's recent bickering.

"Well, we don't want the fighting to keep going on, and we know you don't either, right?" he asked, and Jeff nodded. "That's why we're spending some time apart. That's why I left."

Jeff's eyes seemed to fill with something like fear and disappointment, and he gave his father a nervous glance.

"Like Jay?" he questioned innocently, terrified that, like his brother, his father wouldn't be coming home. Derek's heart clenched as Jeff continued. "Jay left."

Derek shook his head frantically, understanding what Jeff thought was happening. He couldn't imagine how it must feel for a two year old to think his whole family was abandoning him. First, his brother left, then his father. Casey was really the only person who had consistantly been there with him, and he knew that Jeff was probably scared that she would leave him, too.

"Not like Jay, bud, I promise." he said, brushing his hand gently across his son's forehead. "Nothing like that. Jayden got taken from us. It wasn't his fault... it wasn't anyone's fault. It just happened. But me and your mother seperated for a reason, and that reason is so that when we get back together, things will be happy again, and you can grow up in a normal home. Well, as normal as things can get with your Mom around. You know her, she isn't exactly normal."

Despite his bad mood, the corners of Jeff's mouth twitched upwards a bit at his father's comment, and he smiled slightly.

"I'm coming back. I really am." Derek promised, straightening up again. "And when I do, I promise that I won't yell at you or your mother anymore. Did I scare you, when I did that?"

Jeff blushed a little, and he noded his head, his lower lip stuck out. Derek felt ashamed of himself for scaring his two year old, but he knew that there was nothing he could do to change that now.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, and I want you to know that you didn't do anything wrong. Nothing at all. It wasn't even your Mom's fault. It was my fault. You forgive me?"

Jeff didn't even hesitate. He nodded, wrapping his arms around his father's neck, and Derek lifted him up, carrying him to the table and putting him in his high-chair. He cut up his food into tiny pieces, and laid it on the tray. He then grabbed the plate of food that Casey had taken up for him, and sat down next to his son, eating his breakfast peacefully.

It only took Derek about ten minutes to finish his food, and Jeff was still eating (or rather playing with) his own food, while Derek cleaned up the living room and kitchen for Casey. He had just finished this, when the doorbell rang, and he made his way into the porch to answer it himself, since Casey still hadn't finished getting ready.

When he pulled open the door, he saw three people standing there. Cole was there, of course, with his arm around Kallie's waist to support her, for she had sprained her ankle, and was clearly still weak. It wasn't the couple that confused Derek. It was the taller, brown haired man that was standing behind Cole, his hands stuck aimlessly in his pockets. He was a bit tan, and his eyes were a chestnut brown, blending perfectly with his skin tone and hair colour. Derek raised an eyebrow, confused as to who this guy was.

"Hey Derek." Cole said, looking much happier than he had the last time Derek had seen him, in the hospital. "Mind if we come in? It's just, Kallie doesn't have that much energy right now, and-"

"Wh- oh yeah, sure." he said, shaking his head to dismiss the confusion that was running through his mind. "No problem. Sorry about that. Come on in."

He stepped back to allow the three guests into the house, and they all made their way into the kitchen, where Jeff was finishing off his breakfast. He was more or less just playing with the remainder of his eggs, by now. Cole helped Kallie into a chair, and he moved his own as close to her as he possibly could, as though unsure she could even balance herself. Derek would've called him paranoid, but he knew that he had reacted the exact same way when Casey had been released from hospital. The unknown man took a seat across from Cole and Kallie, and Derek resumed his spot at the head of the table, next to Jeff.

"What are you doing here?" Cole asked as they all got comfortable. "Casey didn't tell me that you were going to be here, not that it's a bad thing."

Derek shrugged, indicating that he did not take this statement as an insult, and he moved to wipe some food off of Jeff's chin with a nearby cloth.

"I decided to drop over a little early." he explained. "Casey's upstairs getting ready. She'll be down soon, I guess." he turned to the girl next to Cole, his features softening instantly. "Kallie, how are you feeling?"

She offered him a gentle smile, shrugging one shoulder weakly. Her skin was still a bit white, clearly from lack of blood flow for two or three days, and it wasn't hard to tell that she was exhausted. There was a bandage on her right wrist, and Derek knew that she was on crutches, though he figured that Cole had helped her into the house without them.

"I'm good, Derek." she said, and he was surprised to hear that even her voice sounded a little weak. "I'm exhausted, and I feel like one big bag of bruises, but other than that, I'm fine."

Derek nodded and turned to the stranger, raising an eyebrow out of curiousity.

"I don't mean to be rude..." he started, squinting at him. "But, uh, who are you?"

The man shook his head, as though it had just occured to him that he had not introduced himself.

"I'm Ryan Bennett." he said, shrugging. "Kallie's older brother."

"Only by a year!" Kallie reminded him, and Ryan grinned, nodding.

"Right," he corrected himself, rolling his eyes. "Only by a year. I came into town yesterday, to make sure my sister was okay. They called me and told me that she may be in the danger zone for a coma, so... you know, naturally, I wanted to come in. By the time I'd gotten here, she had woken up, so I figured I'd stay for a few days to help Cole out. I missed having this kid around. We used to be something of friends when we were little, didn't we, Cole?"

Cole grimaced, offering him a fake smile.

"Oh yeah, I loved playing football with you and your friends. All of that... sunshine, fresh air... tackling, grass, the mouthfuls of dirt..."

"-those were the days." Ryan finished, and Kallie rolled her eyes.

"Behave." she warned the two of them, and they grinned at each other, before looking away.

A moment later, Casey came down over the stairs, her hair still wet, but curled and sprayed into place. She had her bangs pinned back with clips, and it amazed Derek that she could look that good in under half an hour. He gave a little half wave, before motioning around the table.

"We've got company." he informed her, which wasn't entirely necessary. "Look who's feeling better." he said, motioning towards Kallie.

Casey grinned, and took a couple of steps towards her friend, giving her a quick and gentle hug, trying to make sure she didn't put any pressure on any of her injuries.

"Hey, Kal." she said, sounding ecstatic. She was half bent over, since Kallie was sitting down, and Derek's eyes darted for a brief moment towards Ryan, who he was very angry to see had taken this oppurtunity to check her out. Derek couldn't say that he blamed her, seeing as there was an incredibly good-looking girl bent over in front of the guy, but Casey was _his_. He reminded himself that hundreds of guys could check out her body, but he was the only one who could _have_ her body. He felt slightly better after that.

Casey pulled back from the hug, and smiled at her other best friend, who gave her an encouraging look, sensing that she was a bit happier than she had been recently. Derek had a feeling it was because of the reassuring little talk that they'd had before Casey had gone upstairs, but he kept his mouth closed as Casey turned to Ryan, the same amount of confusion spreading across her features.

"I'm Casey." she said, biting her lip. "I don't think we've met, but I'll assume you didn't just wander in."

Ryan laughed, and extended a hand to her, shaking his head.

"I'm Ryan, Kallie's older brother." he said, and she shook his head akwardly. "I'm just in town for a week."

"Do you live far away?" she asked, taking a seat next to Derek, who was busy cleaning up the mess that his son had made, while trying to remain seated.

"I only live about a half an hour away." he said, shrugging. "I needed to check on my sister, understandably."

"Yeah." Casey said, nodding, and Derek expected her to turn away then, and talk to Cole and Kallie, but she didn't. "I thought Kallie mentioned before that you're a publisher?"

Ryan nodded, looking proud, and Derek felt himself wanting Casey to turn away from him. He was never usually nervous when Casey spoke to other men, but when they were already on a break, he felt insecure. He felt like any guy could be a threat to him, even though Casey had assured them there would be no one else.

"I run my own publishing company." he confirmed, nodding. "You sound interested. Are you in the same area, or..."

"I'm a writer." Casey said, beaming happily. "I've already got my own publisher, of course, but... it's interesting to meet someone in the same sort of field as I am. None of my friends are."

"Hey, I edit films." Derek cut in, trying to make himself important to this conversation. "That's... sort of along the same lines, isn't it? Creativity, all that jazz..."

Casey hesitated, turning to face him for the first time since she'd sat down. She shrugged one shoulder casually, a half smile on her face.

"Distantly related, I guess." she said, though it sounded as though she was just trying to make him feel better. She saw his face fall, and she instantly felt bad. "But you're excellent at it, Derek. You know I love your films. Don't worry about it."

Her final statement almost made him think that she knew exactly what he was worried about, and that she was trying to relax him, but he still felt paranoid. Jeff chose that exact moment to drop his empty plastic cup to the floor, and it was enough to distract them. He sighed with relief when Casey got up to pick the cup up off of the floor.

"Baby, don't throw your dishes around like that, please." she begged him, offering him the best smile she could. She glanced at Kallie. "Congrats, Kal. You get to put up with this in a few months."

"That's why it's good to have you around, Case." Cole said, grinning suggestively. "You've already gone through it, we can call you if we need help."

Casey grimaced, rolling her eyes as she turned away with Jeff's dishes in her hand.

"Very funny." she called back at him over her shoulder as she tossed the dishes into the dishwasher. Jeff looked at Derek, extending his arms to be lifted, and Derek immediately pulled Jeff over onto his lap, securing him tightly against him.

He saw Casey look over at him as Jeff tilted his head back, a tiny smile on his face, and she seemed to soften towards him considerably. Derek felt warmth spread over him. He was getting along with Jeff, and that was earning him some bonus points, he just knew it. He knew he was far from being able to get Casey back, but at least they weren't arguing.

But this was just one specific day. He knew it would take days, maybe even weeks, to get her to trust him fully again. It would take committment, and consistant responsibility to get back on her good side.

But it was a step he was willing to take.

* * *

**Review, and more shall follow. :) **


	31. MrWonderful

**So here's another chapter for you all. I stayed up late two nights in a row to finish it- so be thankful and review!! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned in this chapter. If I did, I'd be a very happy girl. **

**Chapter Thirty-One: Mr.Wonderful**

Casey yawned, allowing her head to fall onto Cole's shoulder aimlessly. The credits of the movie they had been watching rolled across the screen, and Casey groaned as Ryan flicked the lamp next to him on. Kallie laughed at her obvious frustration, and snuggled in closer to Cole.

"What are you, a vampire?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "The light isn't that terrifying, is it?"

Casey grinned, sitting up a little bit straighter, and she stretched her hands over her head in an attempt at a stretch. Cole laughed, taking the oppurtunity to poke her in the ribs. She jumped, and both girls smacked his shoulder agressively, angry at his actions. Ryan, who was lying on his back, his feet resting by Casey's legs, laughed, and shook his head at his soon to be brother in-law.

"You're fighting a losing battle, Cole." he said, sounding amused. "Casey, don't be afraid to fight back. His weak spot is the-"

"-right rib, I know." Casey laughed, recalling all of the times that she had used this particular piece of information against him. "You guys up for another one?"

Kallie groaned, letting her forehead fall onto her boyfriend's shoulder in frustration.

"No more movies." she begged, shaking her head. "We've watched like, five today."

"Well it was raining out." Ryan said, raising an eyebrow. "What would you like to do, take a nice swim in a puddle?" His sister rolled her eyes at him, and he continued. "Besides, you're not going anywhere strenuous. Cole won't allow it, I won't allow it, and I'm sure Casey wouldn't allow it either."

"I most certainly wouldn't." Casey agreed, shaking her head. Kallie scowled at her, and Casey shrugged. "Sorry, Kal. He's right. You're on house arrest for the next few days. Doctor's orders. You don't want to put any sort of stress on yourself, or on the baby for the next few days."

Kallie sighed, slumping down further in her spot on the couch, shrugging away from Cole's hold.

"You all suck." she grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. She shot a glare at Cole, frowning. "Especially you."

Cole grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close against him, using his free hand to ruffle her hair.

"You know you love me." he said, grinning widely as he lowered her down onto the couch, messing up her hair and trying not to hurt any of her injuries. "Come on, tell me you didn't mean it. I don't suck, you know it."

"Coleee, come on!" she laughed as he tickled her ribs as gently as possible to avoid hurting her, or making her overexert herself. "You don't suck okay? I take it back!"

He laughed, kissing the side of her neck gently as he stopped tickling her, allowing her to rest and attempt to catch her breath. They lay there for a moment, trying to breathe, and Casey felt a pang in her heart- one that made her miss Derek more than ever. It had been so long since they had little moments like that, and she longed so much for their old relationship to return.

At that moment, Derek walked into the room, with Jeff on his back, identical grins on their faces. He had gone out for the day with his son, since that was the whole purpose of him dropping over, and he was only now coming back with him, at nine thirty. It was past Jeff's bedtime, but Casey didn't really mind for one night.

Derek was standing in the doorway, observing the situation as Cole and Kallie straightened up, and Casey smiled at him slightly.

"Hi, Derek." she said, clearly in a good mood. "Did you two have fun?"

She could've sworn that her husband's eyes lingered for just a moment on Ryan, who seemed to be way too comfortable with being next to Casey than Derek appreciated. But a moment later, he tore his eyes away from Kallie's brother, and fixed his eyes on his wife, nodding his head as he swung Jeff off of his back, and onto the ground. Jeff immediately toddled towards his mother, and Casey lifted him up into her arms, kissing his forehead happily.

"We had a blast." Derek said happily, relishing in the feeling of having an amazing day with his son. "Went to the park, saw a movie, went to McDonald's..."

"Did you have fun with your father, baby?" Casey asked, holding her son out a little bit. Jeff grinned, nodding, and Casey smiled, ruffling his hair up. "Glad to hear it. Why don't you let Daddy take you on up to bed? You're way past your bedtime."

The smile instantly faded from Jeff's face, and he looked from his father, to his mother, and back again. His face was scrunched up with concentration, and it was quite clear that he was thinking hard about something. Finally, he shook his head, and pointed at his mother, his little finger trembling slightly.

"You too." he decided, glancing back and forth between each of his parents.

"Quite the little matchmaker you've got there, Case." Cole laughed, and Derek blushed, shuffling his feet akwardly.

"I can take him up, if you want." he offered, not wanting Casey to feel obliged to go with him. But to his surprise, and relief, she shook her head, and stood up, securing Jeff against her hip as the boy bit on his knuckles lightly, pleased that his mother was listening to his request.

"If he wants us both to put him to bed, I'll come upstairs." she shrugged, walking towards him. "It's not a big deal."

Derek didn't even consider arguing with her. Even the ten minutes that it would take to put Jeff to bed was enough time with her, for him. He just wanted to be near her. So together, they made their way upstairs, Jeff half nodding off to sleep in Casey's arms. And by the time Derek pushed the bedroom door open and flicked the light on, their son's eyes were only half open. Casey shifted slightly, and Derek placed a hand on her lower back, attempting to keep his voice down.

"You want me to change him for you?" he asked, in a hushed tone so that he wouldn't disturb Jeff's half-concious state.

Casey shook her head, smiling slightly.

"It's alright, I've got it." she assured him, and sure enough, she changed Jeff into his pajamas, before kissing his forehead, and allowing Derek to do the same. She lowered him down into his bed, before pulling the covers up over him. He squirmed slightly, his eyes closed, and Derek could tell he was already asleep. He sighed, reaching down and securing the gaurdrails.

"Night, bud." he whispered to his sleeping son, before following Casey out of the room, turning off the light and ensuring that the nightlight was on. He shut the door behind him, and watched as Casey leaned back against the wall, her head tilted back. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly.

"How much sugar did you give him?" she asked, sounding exhausted. "I'm just trying to piece together how much sleep I'll need tonight, to manage him tomorrow."

Derek laughed, pressing one hand against the wall beside her, leaning over her slightly.

"I promise, it wasn't too much." he assured her, shaking his head. He sighed, the smile fading slightly off of his face as he became more serious. "How was your day?"

She shrugged one shoulder aimlessly, though her day had been great. She had gotten to hang out with her friends, she had gotten to know Ryan, and she had watched a few movies. It was the most fun she'd had in weeks, actually. But she didn't want Derek to think that she was having an excellent time, while he appeared to be miserable over their break. And she was too, but hanging out with Cole, Kallie, and Ryan, had allowed her to take her mind off of the seperation, slightly.

"It was pretty good." she offered, a half smile on her face. "Watched a few movies."

"With Ryan?" Derek said quickly, worry etched all over his face. Her eyes shot up to meet his immediately, and he blushed, realizing what he had said. "-and Cole and Kallie, too, of course."

She hesitated, not entirely trusting the words that had just left her mouth, but she decided to ignore it, since he appeared to be embarassed about it.

"Yeah, with them." she said, her eyes scanning his. "Derek, you're not like... jealous... of Ryan, are you?"

Derek's eyes widened, and she wasn't sure if it was because she had called him on it, or because he hadn't actually thought of it yet, but nonetheless, she saw his face turn red with embarassment, and he raised an eyebrow at her, looking nervous.

"Jealous?" he questioned, giving a shaky laugh. "Why would I be jealous? I mean, I've got nothing to be jealous about, do I? You m-met the guy today. You don't know him well enough for me to be jealous, r-right?"

Casey opened her mouth to agree, but he wasn't entirely right. She had gotten to know Ryan throughout the day, so she did know him more than Derek thought she did. But that didn't really mean that he had anything to be jealous over, so she shook her head.

"You don't have to be jealous over anything." she assured him, shaking her head, and he breathed out with releif. "I mean, I've gotten to know him alot today, and I've got to admit that he's a really nice guy. He's funny, and he's quite intelligent. And it's really interesting to be able to talk to someone who works in writing, and-"

She trailed off when she saw the terrified look on his face, and she realized that she_ had_ sounded like some sort of teenage girl with a crush. She frowned, deciding not to finish her sentence, and gripped his chin softly in her hand.

"-and he's nothing close to you." she finished, sighing. "Don't worry about Ryan, alright?"

Derek did not look convinced, and Casey actually felt bad for him. She sighed, leaning forwards and pressing a very quick kiss to his lips. Nothing too much, so that she wouldn't give him too much hope, but enough to reassure him that she wasn't about to do anything with Ryan.

"Relax." she instructed him, cupping his cheek in her hand calmly. "You worry way too much."

He appeared to be dazed at the fact that she'd kissed him, but he merely nodded, still looking worried. She pushed herself up off the wall, letting her hand slip from his face. He stared at her, wordless. Deciding that being together alone wasn't helping anything, Casey grabbed his wrist, dragging him towards the stairs, letting go only when he began to walk on his own. He followed quietly along behind her, apparantly unable to think of anything to say.

"Are you heading back to Sam's house now?" she asked him, as they made their way downstairs together. She glanced over her shoulder to see him looking disappointed, almost as though he had forgotten that the day had to end, and that he had to leave her again.

"I guess so." he said, not sounding at all happy about this. "But have you... um... thought about... how long... until, you know, I can..."

She immediately understood what he was trying to ask, and decided to save him the trouble, since he was apparantly at a loss for words, or else too embarassed to speak properly.

"I don't know, Derek." she said honestly, shaking her head. "I mean, you seem like you're changing. But taking you back now... it's much too soon. My feelings towards you have changed over the past month," she started, but stopped when she saw that her words were just making him even more nervous. "-but not to any serious extent, Derek. I still love you, that won't change. I just need time to... forgive you, and get over everything that we've been through, you know? I don't want you to push it."

He shook his head as they came to a stop near the front door, and he placed his hands in his jacket pockets casually.

"I won't push it." he informed her, sounding genuine. "Take all the time you need. Just remember that I'm not going to hurt you, anymore. When I come back, it's going to be the real me, the old me. The one you actually like."

Casey smiled, giving a soft laugh.

"I'm glad to hear it." she said, sounding releived. She shuffled akwardly, unsure of what to say to him. Finally, she settled for; "Well... goodnight, then."

Derek nodded, taking his hands out of his pockets, and taking a step towards her.

"Goodnight." he said, kissing her very lightly on the cheek, and stepping backwards again. "Love you."

"You too." she assured him, glad that they could still keep up this part of their relationship, while on a break.

With that, he left, and Casey sighed, before making her way back into the living room to hang out with her friends.

- - - -

"So you're telling me that you've _never_ seen The OC?" Casey asked Ryan, raising an eyebrow. "That's crazy. How can you not watch that show?"

"Easy." Ryan shrugged, looking careless. "I just don't turn on the TV when it's on."

Casey rolled her eyes, not satisfied with his answer.

"That wasn't what I meant, and save your sauce for your nuggets." she said, glaring at him playfully. "I swear, you cannot be officially related to Kal until you've watched The OC. She's more obsessed than I am."

Ryan looked unmoved by her statement, and glanced down at his soon to be brother in-law, who was sitting on the loveseat with Kallie curled up in his arms, asleep. Cole was threading his fingers through his girlfriend's hair over and over again, half asleep himself.

"You alive over there, Cole?" Ryan asked, laughing a little. "You haven't said anything in like, twenty minutes."

Cole glanced over, shifting slightly and wrapping his arm around Kallie even tighter, holding her closer against him. He shrugged, yawning despite himself.

"I'm tired." he dismissed, uncaring. "Besides, I don't want to wake Kallie up. She's been through so much in the past few days. You two were getting along fine without me, anyway."

Casey almost thought there was an accusatory tone in Cole's voice, but she decided not to bring it up, especially in front of Ryan. She merely shrugged, feeling fatigue wash over her suddenly.

"I'm so tired." she informed them, her eyes falling shut every few seconds. "What time are you guys leaving here?"

Ryan shrugged one shoulder, indicating that he didn't care.

"It's up to Cole." he dismissed, sighing. He was still lying across the couch, his feet on one end, and Casey was lying the opposite way, going in a different direction. She was suddenly glad that Derek had left, for he would not have liked this position at all, as innocent as it may be. Cole had moved to the other couch with Kallie once she had claimed she was tired. He had allowed her to drift off to sleep in his arms long before. It was well past midnight, and Casey couldn't bring herself to ask her friends to leave.

"Case..." Cole said slowly, examining his girlfriend carefully. "Would it be alright if we just... stayed here?" he asked, and Casey raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I don't want to move her, she's had a rough enough time lately as it is, and-"

"Go to sleep, Cole." she said, smiling. "You can take the guest room. You can carry Kallie, right?"

Cole nodded, shifting so that he could lift Kallie up into his arms without dropping or waking her. He succeeded in doing so, and he said goodnight to Casey and Ryan, before making his way from the room, walking as slowly as possible so that he wouldn't drop her. Ryan and Casey stared after him, and Casey couldn't help but smile as she saw Cole kiss Kallie's forehead.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" she said, her voice awed. "Your sister is lucky to have a guy like Cole. He'll take good care of her."

Ryan nodded, turning away from the doorway as Cole disappeared from view. He tilted his head back against the arm of the couch, thinking.

"I know he will." he agreed honestly. "I trust him to be good to my sister, and I know he will be." he paused, trailing off for a moment. "What about you and Cole? I thought Kallie mentioned that the two of you dated, once... a few years ago?"

Casey laughed, remembering the time that her and Cole had tried dating each other. That had definitely not worked out very well.

"Try nine years ago." she said, amused. "Back in the second year of university, we liked each other for a little while. We went out a few times, but it was just way too weird, and we ended it after a couple dates. We're way better off as friends. Cole's like a brother to me, and I'd never want to change that."

Ryan understood, and nodded his head slowly, looking thoughtful.

"What about you and Derek?" he asked, sounding as though this topic particularily interested him. "I've sort of been wondering about that. Were you two... together? You've mentioned that he's Jeff's father."

Casey sighed, not really wanting to go into detail about hers and Derek's current situation, but not wanting to be rude and change the topic. She decided to explain it as briefly as possible to Ryan, just so satisfy him.

"Me and Derek are married." she explained, deciding that it was best to make that known right off the bat. Ryan raised an eyebrow, and there was something like disappointment in his eyes.

"But... he doesn't live here, does he?" Ryan asked, as though searching for an escape to Casey's explanation. "If you guys are married, why doesn't he live here?"

"He does." Casey shrugged, knowing that this was complicated. "We recently decided to just have... a seperation. A temporary break. I needed some time to clear my head, learn to trust him again, you know?"

Ryan looked thoughtful as he bit on his lower lip, listening to every word Casey said. She had a feeling that he was not at all pleased to learn that Casey was married. She had sort of picked up on the fact that he was hitting on her all day, but she hadn't realized that he didn't know her and Derek were together. She guessed that they hadn't exactly been outwardly intimate, around him anyway, but still...

"So you guys are having some issues now, I take it?"

Casey shrugged, supposing that their fighting could be labelled as an 'issue'.

"Yeah, I guess." she offered carelessly. "We lost our son recently, through a custody battle. It's a really long story, and-"

"Wait, how could you lose your son through a custody battle?" Ryan asked, curious. "If he's your son, how does anyone else have the right to take him from you?"

It hadn't occured to Casey until now how wonderfully dysfunctional their family was. Her and Derek were married (in a relationship that others would consider unconventional), but they were not living together. Jayden was their son, but not biologically. The four of them were living in three different homes right now. They had gone from perfect, to one big mess, in a matter of a couple of months.

"He was Derek's best friend Jeff's son." she explained, taking a deep breath. "When Jeff died, he left Jayden to Derek, but the only papers he had signed was for a four year temporary gaurdianship. That ran out this year, and Jayden's maternal grandmother Natalie started this whole custody thing. To make a long story short, she won, and Jayden's gone to California. It had a pretty big impact on our family, and, well... Derek drank to take away his pain. It sort of spiralled on us, and... here we are."

Ryan sat there with his mouth hanging half open, shocked by Casey's words. It was clear to her that this was alot to take in in a matter of a minute, and she almost laughed at the expression on Ryan's face. He gaped at her for a few minutes, amazed by everything she had just told him. Finally, he shook his head as though dismissing a weird thought, and he swallowed.

"Wow, sounds like you've had... quite an interesting few months." he observed, shaking his head. "Losing a kid can never be easy, I guess, but that was no excuse for Derek to go out and start drinking all the time, was it?"

Casey opened her mouth to agree, but there was something in Ryan's tone that she didn't quite like. It was almost as though he was dismissing the rest of the story, and focusing mainly on Derek's mistake. And Casey didn't really like that.

"Well, I guess not..." she agreed slowly, searching for a way out. "But, you know... I'm moving on from it, and he hasn't drank all week. Me leaving him really gave him a new perspective on things, and I'm proud of him. I still love him, and I know we'll be together again."

"Are you sure that's something you want?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You sound uncertain."

Casey stared at him, and she didn't even have to consider his suggestion. She knew how she felt about Derek, and she knew where their relationship was going. She shook her head, her eyebrows scrunched up slightly.

"I have no intentions of divorcing Derek, or anything like that." she said, trying to dismiss the thoughts from Ryan's head. "I considered it, but I know it's not what I want."

Ryan looked like he wanted to argue, and Casey could sense some jealousy. She was almost flattered, but she had to admit, getting jealous over someone you had only known for a day was sort of weird. She had sensed that Ryan sort of liked her, since he'd flirted with her all day, and she was ashamed to admit that she may have given him the wrong impression by being something of a flirt back. She hadn't really meant to, but he was such a great guy that she hadn't exactly realized what she had been doing until she had done it.

"What about you?" Casey asked, wanting to change the topic. "Do you have anyone special?"

Ryan blushed, shaking his head to signal that he didn't.

"No, and I hate it." he admitted, looking upset. "My little sister is getting married before I do. That makes me feel a bit pathetic. Our younger half-brother Kevin is only sixteen, and the dude's already like... in love with his girlfriend, Amy. There's just me now, and I'm starting to panic. I'm twenty-nine. My little brother and sister shouldn't be getting married before me."

Casey shrugged, not exactly agreeing with his point.

"People meet the right person at different times." she reminded him, knowing this was true. "I met Derek when I was fifteen. Cole and Kallie met when they were... what? Twelve? My mother met her second husband when she was nearly forty. There's no rules when it comes to love, Ryan."

Ryan gave a half smile, shrugging his shoulders reluctantly.

"I guess so." he sighed, his voice sad-sounding. "I just feel left behind."

Casey yawned, her eyes falling shut every few seconds. She was getting tired, and she knew that she would soon have to get up and drag herself upstairs to bed. Upstairs seemed so far away. She closed her eyes, snuggling down further against the cushion. She just needed five more minutes.

"Casey?" Ryan asked from the other end of the couch, his hands resting below his head as he stared at the ceiling. She gave a little murmer to show that she was listening to him, and he sighed, taking a deep breath.

"Cole's got Kallie, you've got Derek. But do you ever wonder if the person you're with is the person you're supposed to be with? I mean, how do you know?" he asked, sounding as though he wanted advice from someone who seemed to know what they were talking about. Casey could tell that he was very insecure about being the last one in his family to be single, and she almost felt bad for him.

Before she could answer, however, he had asked another question.

"I mean, do you ever wonder if Derek's not the right guy for you?"

But it was too late; Casey had drifted off to sleep, and Ryan sighed, before grabbing a blanket off of the back of the couch, and draping it across the both of them. He laid his head against the pillow, attempting to get some sleep himself.

- - - -

The next morning, Derek drove up to their house at ten o'clock in the morning to pick up Jeff. He figured that Casey wouldn't really mind if he took Jeff two days in a row, though he hadn't called to warn her that he was coming. Jeff was his son, too, after all. He was so busy thinking about where he should take the kid today, that he barely noticed Cole and Kallie's car was still parked on the street.

He pushed the front door open, eager to see Casey again. Things had gone so well between them the day before that he almost figured that their break wouldn't last that long, despite what Casey had told him the night before about not having a clue how long it could go on.

"Case, I'm here." he called out, grinning happily as he made his way in through the house, towards the living room. "Don't tell me you're still asleep, or else I'll really have to-"

He trailed off when he walked into the living room, and caught sight of Casey, still asleep on the couch. The fact that she was asleep wasn't what killed him; it was the fact that Ryan was asleep on the same couch, sprawled out the opposite way. His heart froze entirely, and he felt his breathing catch in his throat.

What the hell was this? She'd told him he had nothing to be worried about, she'd told him he didn't have to be jealous over Ryan. But it was quite clear to Derek that he did have something to be worried about. Ryan had quite clearly spent the night with Casey, and he was terrified to know whether or not anything had happened between them. He couldn't even guess whether or not it had. They had a blanket thrown over them, and he hated to think that Casey had willingly fell asleep with Ryan there. He hated to think that she'd asked Ryan to spend the night. He hated to think that she liked him as anything more than a friend. She'd known him less than a day. How could she like someone this quickly?

Unable to stand the sight any longer, Derek whirled around, making his way towards the stairs. He practically ran up them, bursting into Jeff's room and flicking on the lightswitch angrily. Jeff was already awake, sitting up in his bed and playing with a nearby teddy bear, and he looked up when his father strode in, anger seeping through him.

"Daddy?" he questioned, sensing his father's urgency.

Derek pushed the gaurdrails down agressively, and reached onto Jeff's mini coat-rack, snatching his son's sweater. He pulled it on over Jeff's head, before lifting him up and adjusting his hold on him. Jeff wore a look of utmost confusion, not understanding where his father was taking him so quickly.

"Where we go?" he asked, his voice innocent and curious. "Breakfrast?"

Derek knew what he was trying to say, and he shook his head angrily, trying to keep his anger geared towards Casey, not his son.

"I'll take you out for breakfast." he said quickly, not caring about anything other than getting the hell out of that house, and now. "You know why? Because I'm your father. Know who's not your father? Ryan. But who's _Casey_ choosing to spend her time with? Ryan. Stupid Ryan. Well that's just fine. I'm here to see you, not her. We'll have fun all by ourselves. We don't need Casey, do we?"

Jeff was staring at his father as though he'd gone mad, and Derek privately had to wonder if he had. He didn't feel himself- he felt as though he could break off and hit something at any second. In fact, half of him wanted to leave Jeff there, and go get drunk just to prove to Casey that he could be mean, too. He wanted to get absolutely wasted, and then come see her, to see how she felt about that.

But the other half of him knew that he couldn't do that. He'd made a promise to Casey, and even though he felt betrayed by her, he intended on keeping it. He didn't want to run the risk of hurting her, or cheating on her. He loved her too much for that.

So he gathered Jeff's sneakers up in his free hand and, without even bothering to put them on his son's feet, he made his way out into the car, finding himself thankful that he hadn't returned the carseat the night before, for now he didn't have to set that up in Sam's car. He strapped Jeff in, before slamming the back door and getting in the driver's seat. With an aching in his heart, he turned the key to start up the car, and sped off in the general direction of town. He couldn't think straight. He didn't even realize that Casey was probably going to panic when woke up, and Jeff wasn't there.

In fact, he wasn't really thinking at all.

- - - -

"Where the hell is my son?"

Casey's voice could be heard throughout the entire house, and all three of her friends downstairs stopped what they were doing as they listened to her freak out in the room above them.

Casey ran a hand through her hair, leaning back against the doorway, unable to keep herself standing on shaky legs. She placed a hand on her chest, and she could feel her heart practically beating out against it, worry and terror floating through her immediately. Jeff's bed was empty, his gaurdrails pushed down, and his jacket was gone. His door had been left open, which surprised her, since she could recall Derek closing it the night before.

"Jeff?" she called out, as loudly as she could. She found herself praying that her son had just gotten out of his bed, and had wandered off somewhere around the house. "Jeff, are you here?"

When he didn't answer, she hoped that it was for some logical reason, like he had crawled in somewhere and fallen asleep again, or even if he was in the backyard.

"Cole!" she called out, desperate now. "Cole, go check the backyard. See if Jeff's out there, anywhere. Ryan, can you go check the street, and the park? Kallie, can you just check that floor? Look everywhere you can think of. I can't believe he's... I've got to call Derek."

She stumbled into her bedroom, snatching up the phone and collapsing onto their bed in a nervous heap. She dialed Sam's number, letting it ring a couple of times before Sam picked up.

"Sam!" she said, her voice shaking nervously. "Put Derek on the phone."

Sam sounded slighty taken aback by her demanding tone, but nonetheless answered her as best as he could.

"Derek went out hours ago." he said, sounding confused. "Is it important, or-"

She hung up on him before he could finish the sentence, and she didn't have a chance to feel guilty before she was punching in Derek's cellphone number. It rang and rang, but her loser of a husband did not answer it. She waited anxiously, but he apparantly could not hear it, or was choosing not to answer it.

She let out a growl and hung up the phone, practically smashing the device against the endtable.

Casey stood up, grabbing a jacket from her closet and slipping it on as quickly as possible. She would leave Kallie to search the house, since she didn't want her friend over-exerting herself this quickly. But she fully expected Ryan and Cole to help her look for her son.

She darted downstairs, running straight into Ryan, who placed a hand on her lower back, pulling her a little bit towards him.

"Don't crash, Case." he warned her, laughing lightly. Casey barely noticed how much he was flirting, though she had, however, picked up on his constant flirting that had been going on since they had woken up together that morning. She hadn't meant to fall asleep with him, and she hoped that he understood it didn't mean a thing. She'd thought she'd made that much clear the night before- that she wasn't interested.

"I need to go look for my kid." she said, barely breathing. "Jeff, I need to find Jeff. I need to... Jayden! Jayden might know where he'd... give me a phone."

She shoved past him before he could even fulfill her request, and she snatched the nearest phone up, dialing the number of Natalie Turner. She waited and waited, fidgeting impatiently as she listened for a greeting. She prayed that Natalie would not be the one to pick up, but unfortunately, she had no such luck. The woman picked up the phone, and by the tone of her voice, Casey knew she had Caller ID, and had seen who it was.

"It's Casey Venturi." she said quickly, her voice rushed. "Look, I know you told us never to call this number again, and to refrain from any contact with Jayden, but it's an emergency."

She could just picture the smug look on Natalie's face as the woman answered, happiness in her voice.

"I don't have to let him talk to you." she reminded Casey brightly. "You have no legal right to-"

"My other son is gone, and I don't know where to find him!" Casey practically cried into the phone, and she saw Cole enter the kitchen from the back door. He wrapped his arm around Casey's waist, sensing she needed comfort. "The two of them used to play Hide and Seek all the time, so I'm hoping that Jayden might be able to tell me where he is."

Natalie was silent, and Casey could tell that even this old bat was sensing how urgent this phone call was. She knew she had her right where she wanted her, so she dropped her voice to an urgent tone.

"Please, have a heart." she begged, biting her lip. "It's really important."

Natalie sighed, and Casey knew she'd won. She'd convinced Natalie of the truth.

"Fine." the woman said, acting as though this was the biggest annoyance in the world. "You've got five minutes. Make it quick."

There was some ruffling in the background, and Jayden picked up the phone sounding excited, yet confused.

"Casey?" he asked, sounding as though he didn't believe it was really her. "You there?"

Casey's heart leapt at the sound of Jayden's voice on the other end of the phone. She'd missed that voice so much over the past month or so, and the longing for her son to come home only grew deeper. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him until now.

"Jayden, hi." she said happily, temporarily forgetting about her situation. "Oh my God, how are you doing?"

Jayden was reluctant to answer, and Casey knew it was because Natalie must still be in the room, listening to every word he said. Sensing his predicament, she sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Your grandmother is there, isn't she? That's why you aren't answering me?"

"Mhm, that's right." he said formally, so that Natalie couldn't tell what he was trying to say.

Casey felt her hatred for the woman grow even further, but she reminded herself that Natalie had possessed enough decency to give Jayden the phone in the first place, and sighed. As she thought this, she remembered why she had called him in the first place, and jumped slightly, causing Cole to tighten his grip around her waist.

"You and your brother used to play Hide and Seek all the time, when you were here." she said quickly, taking in a deep breath. "I just woke up, and he's gone, and I have no idea where he could be. I don't think he's in the house. Is there anywhere in particular that you guys used to go, outside? Did he have any favourite places that he might've wandered off to, or tried to, anyway?"

"Jeff's gone?" Jayden cried, his voice cracking with worry. "As in, you can't find him? Oh God... Case, I don't know. I mean, he loved going to the river, but-"

Casey's heart dropped, and she felt panic leap into her throat.

"Yeah, that's just what I wanted to hear, thanks Jay!" she said, her voice harsh with worry. "Well now that my minds at ease, why don't I go down to the dangerous river where there are rocks and mini waterfalls, and-"

"Relax, Case." Jayden said, still sounding panicked himself. "Jeff doesn't even know the way there, that's what I was trying to say."

Casey pressed a hand against her forehead, her eyes closed tightly in frustration.

"That's even worse." she said, realizing now that Jeff could be absolutely anywhere. She glanced towards the living room window, and saw a car pulling up in the driveway. She squinted, recognizing it as Sam's. She could make out the figure of Derek getting out of the car, and as she looked harder, she saw that he went around to the backseat, and emerged with what was clearly his toddler son in his arms. She felt the knot in her stomach uncurl, and a wave of relaxation seemed to wash over her entire body. Derek had Jeff. He was okay, he wasn't missing.

"Never mind." she said, her breathing alot easier, and her voice calmer. The other three people in the room glanced at her like she was insane, but she motioned towards the walkway out front, where Derek was making his way towards the door. They all relaxed as well, and Casey brought her hand away from her face.

"I just found him." she said, sighing. "Derek had him."

She could practically feel Jayden's confusion, and she could hear it in his voice when he spoke.

"If Derek had him, shouldn't you have already-"

"Jayden, your five minutes is up." she heard Natalie's voice say sternly in the background. "Say goodbye to Mrs.Venturi."

Casey frowned, not liking the way that Natalie was addressing her to Jayden. She had been there for enough of Jayden's life to be referred to as more than a formal 'Mrs.Venturi'. She was the kid's mother, for crying out loud. But nonetheless, she didn't want to get Jayden in any trouble, and it was clear that Jayden knew it was best not to fight his grandmother on this either. He gave a shaky sigh, before speaking.

"I've got to go, Casey." he said, sounding upset and annoyed by this. "I'm glad you found Jeff. Tell him hello for me, would you?"

Casey's heart welled up with emotion as she recognized that this phone conversation may be the last chance she would have to speak with Jayden until he was of age, and could move back on his own free will.

"I will, Jay." she said, hearing Derek come in through the front door, and Jeff's laughter echoing throughout the bottom floor of the house. "I love you, we all do, and we miss you so much."

"You too." Jayden said, and there was a click that signalled the call had ended. Casey paused at the abrupt cutoff of their conversation, but she figured that Natalie had been behind it. She sighed, hanging up the phone, and turned to look at her husband as he walked in through the door. Her first instinct was to yell at Derek for taking their son without telling her, but when her eyes fell on Jeff's smiling face, all of her anger disapeared.

There was a certain anger in Derek's own eyes, one that she couldn't quite pinpoint, but she didn't have time to question it as she rushed forwards, snatching her son from Derek's arms and hugging him against her.

"Oh my _God, _Jeff, don't you ever scare me like that again." she whispered, kissing the side of his head as she cradled him to her. Her eyes fell upon Derek, and she glared at him.

"And _you_," she spat at him, her previous anger bubbling up inside her. "You ought to show more responsibility than this. Do you know how worried I was about him?"

Derek shrugged, his hands in his pockets carelessly, and his face remained emotionless.

"You told me to take him whenever I wanted." he reminded her, and she had to admit that he sort of had a point, although this had been a bit unreasonable.

"Take him whenever you want, Derek, but at least have the decency and common sense to _tell me,_ first!" she cried, trying not to yell for fear of scaring her son. "A note, a phone call, anything would've done it. I just had to call Jayden in California to see if he knew anywhere where Jeff would've gone. I mean, I was sick to my stomach with worry! How could you not tell me?"

Derek's eyes remained cold and unmoved as he shrugged one shoulder, clearly not giving a damn what she thought. Casey's eyes narrowed at him, and she shook her head in disgust, reminding herself of every reason why she'd wanted to divorce him a few days before. But she knew better than to trust these feelings. She was mad at him, but she wasn't going to pull another divorce threat again, because she knew that would be overrreacting. But yelling at him wouldn't be.

"You're so damn irresponsible." she hissed at him, before placing her son in Cole's arms. "And I think it's time me and you had a little chat. You're acting like a jerk again, and I want to know why."

With that, she grabbed a hold of the collar of his jacket, and pulled him into the next room, slamming the door behind her. No sooner had she come to a stop, and Derek had regained his balance from where she had left him, than he shook his head, anger clear in his eyes.

"I'm not explaining myself to you, and I'm not being a jerk." he said, taking a step away from her. "But if you think I am, why don't you go back to Mr.Wonderful in there? I'm sure he'd love to take you in his arms and comfort you. He sure as hell had no problem falling asleep next to you last night, and apparantly, you didn't mind it either. So tell me, Case. What exactly happened last night when I left, huh?"

Casey's stomach dropped as she realized what he must have witnessed, and what must have happened. He must have come over early that morning and saw Casey and Ryan asleep together on the couch. He must've goten the wrong impression.

"Derek, I can explain that." she said, her anger dissolving quickly. "It was a simple misunder-"

But Derek shook his head, walking backwards towards the door.

"Save it." was all he said before he turned on his heel, and stormed out through the front door, making sure to slam it behind him.

* * *

**So there's some Jayden in there for you, too. A few of you mentioned that it's like he just disappeared, and yes, he did. That's the point. Natalie is cruel, and she wants to allow the Venturis no contact with him, whatsoever. Except for this emergency, of course. Anyway, I need reviews to update :) So be kind. **


	32. How To Treat A Woman

**It might take awhile for me to update (not too long, don't worry) because I have three tests and a project due this week, not to mention a bunch of other committments. But reviews make it go faster! Anyway, read on. By the way, the timeline sort of doubles over. When Casey's POV ends, it goes back to when she made the phone call, right after Derek leaves, in case you can't tell. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. **

**Chapter Thirty-Two: How To Treat A Woman**

Casey remained frozen to her spot for a few moments, unable to believe how childish Derek had just been. But quite frankly, she couldn't say she blamed him. If she had come home to find Derek asleep with another girl, she might get the wrong impression, too. It had been completely innocent, in her case, but Derek didn't know that.

After a moment, she came to her senses, and shook her head, listening as he opened up the car door to Sam's vehicle. She shook some sense into herself, and tore after her husband, the screen door falling shut behind her.

"Derek!" she yelled, attempting to get to him before he closed his car door. "Derek, would you wait?"

He was already half inside the car when he stopped, his hands resting on the edge of the door. He sighed, giving her a hurt look.

"What is it, Casey?" he asked, pain lingering in his eyes. "Go back inside. I'm sure your _new_ boyfriend doesn't want to be kept waiting."

She could tell that his pain was outweighing his anger, and she felt bad for him. She herself was angry at him for taking Jeff without notice, but she rather felt that their relationship was more important right now. So she decided to push it from her mind, and she shook her head, indicating that he was wrong.

"Ryan isn't my boyfriend, Derek." she informed him honestly. "He's my friend, and you're my husband. Why can't you accept that?"

Derek snorted, looking as though he didn not believe a word that was coming out of her mouth.

"Yeah, because I can accept coming home to find my wife asleep with some other guy."

"He was on the other end of the couch, and maybe you noticed I was still fully dressed, and so was he. Clearly, nothing happened."

He rolled his eyes, clearly disbelieving, and shook his head at her, signalling that he did not want to discuss this with her.

"I know what I saw." he said, before lowering himself down into the driver's seat, and slamming the door.

Casey panicked, leaning down to the window, which was still half open, and she gave him a desperate look.

"What does it take for you to believe me, blood?" she asked, frustrated. "Nothing happened. Do you understand that? _Nothing. _Cole didn't want to leave last night, so him and Kallie went into the guest room, and-"

"And the newest couple of the house had no trouble staying right where they were." he laughed cruelly. "It's totally cool, Case. I get it. I'll see you later."

He began to back out of the driveway, and Casey was forced to take a step away from the vehicle. But that didn't stop her from calling after her husband, desperate to get him to stay.

"Derek!" she cried, panicking now. "Come on. You're completely overreacting. Please, stay and talk this out."

But he did not listen. She realized that he was probably too heartbroken, by now, to listen to anything she said. She stared after his car, and she was immediately hit with some sense of realization, that everything they had was slowing going down the drain. Maybe it had been for months, but she was only was realizing it now. They had been entirely happy, maybe too happy. She rather thought that she should've seen this coming. Perhaps they had always been too happy for their own good. They had been that couple that everyone was jealous of, and now, she felt that nobody would want to be like them. She'd never wish for anyone to have to go through this sort of chaos.

She sauntered back into the house, wanting nothing more than to break down and cry, but she kept her tears back as she came into contact with her guest, who looked concerned. Cole was still holding onto a sleepy looking Jeff, who was just about ready for his nap, but he was watching Casey with just as much interest as Kallie and Ryan were.

"How'd it go, Case?" Cole asked, sounding as though he already knew the answer.

She shook her head, her eyes fixed on the floor. She didn't want to talk about this. She wanted this whole thing to end, for good.

"I don't want to talk about it." she said honestly, giving them a very tiny, forced smile. "I'm going to go lie down for awhile. If you're leaving, just... put Jeff in his crib, please."

Cole took a step forwards, handing Jeff off to his girlfriend, sincerity and concern in his eyes for his best friend.

"Casey..." he said slowly, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she reached up and pushed it away. Her eyes were practically struggling to fight the tears back, and she shook her head again, taking a step away from him.

"I need to be alone." she said, before running after her. Cole turned back to Ryan and Kallie, surprise in his eyes, and it was quite clear that he was torn between chasing after her, or respecting her wishes. Kallie gave him a searching look, and nodded her head, motioning towards the stairs.

"Go after her, Cole." she said, a tiny smile on her face. "She's your best friend. She needs you right now."

Cole hesitated, but nodded his head, before tearing up the stairs after his best friend.

Casey was lying on her bed, staring across the room at the wall, her eyes lost and broken. Cole did not bother to knock, for he knew she wouldn't answer, and he walked right in, pressing one hand up against the wall as he observed the situation before him.

"Come on, Casey." he said, trying to calm her down a little bit. "You're stronger than this- much stronger. Don't let this get you down. You two are going to be okay."

"How?" she choked out, propping herself up on her elbows. "We fight. All we do is fight. And just when I think things may be okay again, something else happens, and we come crashing down again. I'm beginning to wonder if it's even worth the pain it takes to acheive two seconds of peace."

Cole kicked the door shut and crossed the room, taking a seat on the bed next to Casey. He tilted her chin up towards him, giving her eyes a searching look.

"Tell me," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "How do you feel when Derek kisses you, or tells you he loves you?" he asked, a knowing tone in his voice. "Or when you two are getting along, or those times when you're just joking around? Huh? How do you feel then?"

Casey sniffed, giving a tiny shrug of the shoulders in response to his question.

"I don't know..." she said slowly, sounding hesitant. "I mean, I feel amazing, I guess. He just makes everything seem so... so... so _right. _He makes me feel like I matter... and..."

Cole watched as she trailed off, and a pleasant smile crossed his lips instantly as she came to the realization that Cole had a good point. She looked him in the eye, sighing slightly.

"-and he makes me realize that all of the pain is worth the love he gives me." she admitted, as much to herself as to Cole. "But the pain is definitely outweighing the love lately, and that's so damn hard to face. I feel like we're never going to be okay again."

Cole brushed her hair back off of her face, kissing her forehead gently, and pulling her against his side, his hand rubbing her back gently.

"It will be." he assured her, his tone confident and knowing. "You guys will work things out, I know you will."

She was about to answer, but the ringing of the phone cut her off. She sighed, reaching onto the endtable for the cordless phone. She was surprised that it was still working after how hard she had flicked it earlier, when she had been worried about Jeff, but nonetheless, she managed to turn it on.

"Hello?" she said, half expecting it to be Derek, calling to work things out, or else end things entirely. But she was surprised that, for the second time that day, Jayden's voice met her ears.

"Casey?" he whispered, sounding as though he was being very, very sneaky. "It's me. I'm at the supermarket. I snuck off when my grandmother was in the lineup and used the payphone. I try to use it everytime we go out, but she always manages to catch me. What's up?"

Casey guessed that it was his rush that did not allow him to let her answer, before he had rushed on.

"If you're wondering how I'm doing, I'm absolutely miserable. I hate it here, I took a tour of my new school, and it's awful. I have to wear a _uniform_, and the kids there sit in alphabetical order. Whatever that's about. My grandmother is unbearably strict, and I want to come home as soon as possible."

Casey sighed, pressing her hand against her forehead in frustration. As much as she was glad Jayden's opinion of his grandmother had not changed over the past month or so, she hated that he was so miserable. She knew how badly he needed to be back with his family, and she wished with all of her heart that there was something she could do to go back and change the judge's mind.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Jayden." she said, and Cole's head snapped up, amazed at who was on the other line. "But, uh... trust me. Things aren't much better here. ln fact, you're probably happier than we are. It seems like we're having alot of trouble keeping everything together without you."

She heard Jayden's momentary pause, before he took a deep breath, speaking again.

"You guys are the best family I know." he said, sounding cautious. "How can there be any unhappiness in that house? And by the way, can you put Derek on the phone really quickly before I go? Not yet, but soon. I want to talk to him, too."

Casey cringed; she didn't want to tell Jayden about Derek being gone, but she knew that she would have to tell him some version of the truth. She just hated that Jayden may feel responsible for all of this, since the drama had only started once he left. Casey, of course, did not blame Jayden for their unhappiness at all, and she knew that Derek wouldn't either. But Jayden may not feel the same.

"Derek... uh... well, he..." she started, and Cole must have sensed her discomfort, for his grip on her waist tightened slightly. She drew in a deep breath, preparing to let the truth out. "He's sort of... not living here, right now, actually."

There was a pause, and she could practically feel Jayden's confusion floating over the phone. She wished that she could read what was going on in his mind, but a moment later, he took a deep breath, sounding frightened.

"What do you mean, Derek isn't living there?" he asked, sounding as though he already knew the answer. "Where is he living? Why isn't he there?"

"We were fighting." she said, shrugging slightly. "It was just too much. We had to take a break, or we would've ended up getting a divorce, or-"

"A _divorce_?" Jayden cried, his voice disbelieving, and Casey cringed at the anger and shock in his voice. "Casey, you two would never get a divorce. You love each other more than anything. I mean, you fight, but it's usually just fooling around. I'm sure it's nothing-"

"You're not here, Jayden." she reminded him sadly, shaking her head as Cole rested his chin on her shoulder. "You don't understand how bad things have gotten here. Me and Derek were a mess. Our marriage was falling apart, Jeff was unhappy... it had to be done."

There was another long pause, and Casey found herself beginning to hate the silence that fell in between their words.

"If fighting is making Jeff unhappy, think of how confused he must be right now." he said, sounding a bit angry. "I don't understand you people. I'm thousands of miles away, wanting nothing more than to be at home with my family. You guys are in the same city, and you're choosing not to spend your time together."

"Jayden-"

"Family is too special to let go, Casey!" Jayden cried, sounding as though he wanted to hit something. "Talk to Derek. Please talk to Derek."

Casey shook her head, though Jayden could not see this, and she sighed deeply, threading her fingers through her hair.

"It's not that simple, Jayden." she said, wishing with all of her heart that he could understand how bad their home was, these days. "I can't just fix everything by talking to Derek. He won't even listen to me."

She knew that Jayden shrugged, and she could tell that he was through with their conversation, the moment he spoke up again.

"Well then get him to listen to you." he said simply, as though it was the easiest thing in the world. Before she could answer, he rushed on, his voice upset. "I've got to go, Casey."

She felt her stomach drop, and she couldn't help but think that he was angry with her, or with Derek. Maybe with the both of them. She couldn't say that she blamed him.

"I sense you're angry." she noted, almost fearfully. "Don't be mad at us, Jayden. We've got our reasons, and it's not permanent."

"I'm not mad." Jayden argued, sighing. "I'm just sort of... disappointed. But don't worry about it, okay? I'll try and call again sometime, but I can't make any promises. I miss you guys. Try and work things out."

Before she could utter another word, Jayden had hung up the phone again, leaving her in total silence. She kept the phone up to her ear for a moment, letting the silence overcome her, before she pressed the off button, dropping the phone to the bed next to her. She let out a deep breath, completely stressed, and she buried her face in her hands.

"You'll be okay, Casey." Cole assured her, and when she didn't answer, he went on. "Jayden's right you know. I could hear what he was saying, the kid isn't exactly quiet. You guys are the best couple I can think of. You're not going to get a divorce. You'll figure everything out, and the two of you will be happy again. Jeff will, too."

She laughed sarcastically, shaking her head. She knew they wouldn't be happy, and she knew why.

"Unless you can tell me a way to get Jayden back to Canada, I highly doubt we will be happy again. Don't you get it? Jayden's what we need. He's the whole reason we were happy. Sure, me and Derek love each other, and that can withstand everything. We'll get back together, but we're never going to be completely happy until we've got our family back together again, too."

Cole stared at her, letting the meaning of her words sink in, and he sighed, wishing with all of his heart that he could make this better for her. He still felt an incredible amount of guilt for losing the custody battle for them, even though Casey had assured him dozens of times that she did not blame him at all.

"I'm sorry, Case." he said, shaking his head. "There's nothing I can do to help you, as much as I wish there was. I want you guys to be happy, but I have no way of bringing Jayden back."

She sniffed, nodding her head to show that she understood, and did not hold this against him.

"I know." she said truthfully, sighing. "Look, why don't you go back downstairs with Kallie, again? I'm sure she's lonely down there, or else Ryan's annoying the hell out of her."

Cole hesitated, torn between comforting his best friend, and returning to his girlfriend.

"Are you sure, Case?" he asked, sounding reluctant to leave her. "I don't want to leave you alone, if you're this upset."

She laughed as best as she could, touched by his obvious concern for her.

"I'll be fine, Cole." she assured him, while privately wondering if she would be. "I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

Cole sighed, before ruffling her hair and standing up. He dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head, before letting go of her entirely.

"Take care, Case." he said, smiling softly at her. "We'll stick around for another while to clean up some of the mess we made last night. You know Kallie, she won't leave her own mess behind. She'll feel guilty. We'll be right downstairs for awhile if you need us."

She nodded returning his smile as best as she could, and he crossed the room, pulling open the door and exiting quickly. She heard his retreating footsteps down the stairs, and a moment later, she heard voices downstairs, only a low murmer to her ears. She was almost positive that Cole was filling Kallie and possibly Ryan in on the details, for Casey knew they would be asking. She did not want to listen to this, so she flopped down onto her back again, grabbing the phone. She punched in Derek's cell number, and waited as it rang. She figured that maybe he was driving, and that was why he wasn't answering his phone, but Sam didn't live that far away, and he would be home by now. She was pretty sure that he was just ignoring her phone call. She clenched the phone tighter in her hand as the answering machine cut in.

"It's Derek, you know the drill."

She rolled her eyes at his lazy attempt at a message, and she waited until the beep had sounded, before speaking.

"Hey, Derek." she said, trying to keep her voice free from all anger or negative emotion. "It's Casey. I figure you're ignoring me, or something, and that kind of hurts, because I don't deserve it. I'm not attacking you, either, but I want you to know that it hurts me to think that you can't take my word when I say nothing happened between me and Ryan. I really mean that, Derek. I would never cheat on you. That would be the absolute last thing I'd do. Anyway, I was talking to Jayden, and he sort of talked me into trying to make things right with you. He's very disappointed in us, and if he's disappointed in you, you've really been disappointing. So give me a call when you want to work this out, or come back to the house. We really need to talk. Just remember that I love you, okay?" she paused, biting her lip. "Bye, Derek."

With that, she hung up, and she was amazed that the voicemail had allowed her to leave that long of a message, though she sure as hell wasn't complaining. Just as she placed her phone back down against the endtable, a knock sounded against the doorframe, and she looked up to see Ryan entering the room, looking concerned and curious. His knuckles were still resting against the wood as he offered her a tiny smile, taking a step forwards.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, and she shook her head to signal that she did not mind. He left the door open a crack, and wandered across the room taking a seat next to her. She sat up straight, finding it akward to be lying down while he sat there. She waited patiently for him to speak, and finally, he did.

"I heard you and Derek are fighting, again." he noted, frowning slightly. "Cole wouldn't tell me why, or anything. I don't even know if he knows why, but whatever it is, I'm sorry to hear it. It sounds like you're having a really rough time."

Casey nodded, resting her hands on her knees lightly and avoiding his gaze.

"Yeah, I really am." she sighed, sick of being thought of as some poor, innocent soul, but what was worse is that she knew it was practically true. "I mean, I love him and all, but..."

"Are you sure you're happy with him?" Ryan asked, a knowing tone in his voice. "You seem like you don't even want him back."

Casey shook her head, not understanding how everything she said to Ryan somehow translated to the untrue fact that she did not want Derek back.

"That's not it at all." she said, sighing. "I want him back, I really do. But it's been so much trouble lately, that-"

"-you're scared it isn't worth it?" he asked softly, and she barely noticed how his hand came to rest on her lower back. "I understand how you feel."

Casey glanced at him quickly, recognizing that he was trying to help, but privately noting to herself that nobody should claim to understand, when they clearly didn't. Ryan obviously had some messed up notions of understanding in his head. But his next words really got to Casey, and not exactly in an angry way.

"You deserve better."

Her initial reaction was to jump to Derek's defense, and claim that Ryan was wrong.

"Excuse me?" she said, raising an eyebrow, her voice slightly cold.

He shrugged, not looking at all embarassed by his words. He shifted closer to her, so that their legs were now touching.

"I said, you deserve better than Derek." he said, shaking his head at her as she tilted her head to meet his gaze. It occured to her that they were close- way too close, really, but he did not have the attention span at the moment to do anything about it.

"He's treating you badly, I can tell." Ryan said, sounding quite confident in his own words. "You may not see it now, Casey, but if you were being treated the right way, the way a woman should be treated, you'd know I'm right. I heard you talking to Cole, though I didn't catch everything, but from what I understand, this fighting has been going on for awhile. And I can tell it isn't your fault. Don't you want to know what it feels like to be treated right, for a change?"

Casey bit her lip, unsure of how to answer that. Fortunately, Ryan was eager to go on, and manipulate her further.

"Come on, Casey." he said, and she felt his arm slide around her waist, holding her closer. "You know I'm right. Haven't you put up with his problems long enough?"

She shifted, and for a moment, one brief moment, she acknowledged what Ryan said, and accepted it as true. Her past month or so had been blighted by Derek's drinking, Derek's violence, Derek's anger. She had deserved so much better from him this month, and she knew that was true.

"So what?" she whispered, frowning slightly. "There's nothing I can do about it."

He inched closer to her, his eyes searching hers suggestively. A tiny smile crossed over his lips, and he shrugged one shoulder, looking unmoved.

"I can show you what it's like to be treated right, Case." he offered, sounding so casual that she almost forgot how serious their conversation was. "I can show you that Derek is all wrong for you."

And before she could protest, he had leaned down, and pressed his lips firmly over hers.

- - - -

Derek pressed his forehead up against the window pane of the car, staring down at the lake. He was parked at the parking lot of a nearby lake, a popular swimming spot for families during the summer. Seeing as summer was drawing to a close, there were very few families left, leaving only the scattered few groups of teenagers in between.

He squinted as the sun hit the lake, the glare hurting his eyes. He had been sitting here for a good twenty minutes, trying to calm himself down. In his head, he kept getting sickening images of Casey kissing Ryan, Ryan holding her body up against the wall as he kissed her neck... Jeff calling Ryan 'Dad'. The images, however untrue and imaginary they may be, made Derek sick to his stomach, but he could not shake them.

Just as he was debating whether or not he should head back to Sam's, his cellphone rang, and he glaced at the Caller ID to see it was Casey. He couldn't face her right now, he just couldn't, So he hit ignore, and waited until she had given up. A moment later, however, the phone rang again, this time signalling that he had a voicemail. He sighed, flipping open the phone and accessing his voicemail. He keyed in his password, and waited until he heard Casey's voice come through. He listened intently, the knot in his stomach loosening more and more with every word she spoke.

At the end of the message, he smiled, as she finished off her little rant.

"...just remember that I love you, okay? Bye, Derek."

He flipped his phone shut, tossing it into the nearest cupholder. Without another word, he put the car into drive, and tore off towards the direction of his house, practically speeding the whole way. As mad as he was, he was willing to hear her out, and attempt to work it all out with her.

He burst into the kitchen ten minutes later, his mind racing frantically. He saw Cole and Kallie sitting at the kitchen table, talking absent-mindedly as Jeff sat in his high-chair, eating Cheerios. The boy's face brightened at the sight of his father, and he grinned.

"Daddy!" he cried, outstretching his arms, but for obvious reasons, Derek didn't even acknowledge him.

"Where's Casey?" he asked Cole, his eyes flickering with concern and anxiousness.

Cole gave a jerk of the head towards the ceiling, signalling that she was upstairs, and before he could even utter another word, Derek had torn off upstairs, eager to get back to Casey. She wanted to work things out, she had told him so in her message.

So then he had to wonder why, through the crack in the door, the only thing he saw was Ryan's lips meet quickly with Casey's.

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**Will she push him away, or kiss him back? Dun Dun Dun. Review to find out :) **


	33. Because We Belong

**Ugh, it took me since sometime last night to get Fanfiction to let this post. Stupid technology, sorry for the wait. Anyways, there is only one more chapter and the epilogue left now, but enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is depressing. **

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Because We Belong**

Ryan gripped Casey's hips lightly, and attempted to push her back gently against the bed, figuring that she wanted this, but within a moment,she had come to her senses, and pressed her hands against his chest, pushing him up off of her. He was slightly taken aback by this, and he frowned, giving her a confused look, one that signalled he hadn't expected to be pushed away at all.

"Casey, I don't get it." he said, shaking his head. "I'm... we... how can you..."

Casey shifted a foot or so away from him, not wanting to allow him another chance to kiss her. She shook her head at him, laughing sarcastically at his stupidiity.

"What don't you get?" she asked, shocked by how dense this guy was. "I'm married to Derek. I'm in love with Derek. One little kiss, or a couple little fights, could never change the way I feel about him. I thought you knew that."

Ryan bit his lip, lost in thought. He was blushing now, clearly embarassed at the fact that he'd just been rejected by a very vulnerable girl.

"I just thought that you..."

"-were so distracted and heartbroken by my husband that I'd throw myself at you shamelessly?" she guessed, raising an eyebrow. She laughed. "It doesn't work that way, Ryan. I've known you for like, a day. I've known Derek for thirteen years, now. And I've basically loved him for the majority of those thirteen years. A month or two of fighting can't erase that, you know."

"You flirted with me." he defended, shaking his head angrily. "You sent out signals... I know you did."

Casey knew that she couldn't deny being a bit of a flirt, but she felt no shame in admitting to her own faults.

"Mhm, I probably did." she said, shrugging as though it were no big deal. "I'm a girl, it's what we do. But that never meant I liked you. I'll admit, I think you're charming, funny, handsome, friendly, and intelligent-" she started, and he smirked under her constant compliments, clearly flattered. But it quickly disappeared as she went on.

"But you want to know something?" she asked, a tiny smile on her face. "Derek is all of those things, and so much more. He's difficult, stubborn, a pain in the ass, slow, lazy-"

"So what are you trying to say?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow as he cut her off. "That I'm losing to the world's most unevolved asshole?"

Casey smiled slightly, chuckling under her breath. She nodded her head, signalling that he was correct.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying." she said, shrugging. "Because Derek may be an unevolved asshole, but he's mine. And he's got ten good traits for every bad one. Maybe I've just been blind to them lately. But he's perfect for me, he really is. We're perfect for each other."

Ryan shook his head, unable to believe that he was being rejected like this. He seemed to be so dazed, and it occured to her that he must have been pretty damn sure of himself to be this taken aback by her rejection.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you left my room." Casey said, gathering her confidence. "I was trying to have some alone time, and I really don't trust you to be around me, when you do something like kissing me without any real proof that I felt the same."

Ryan's eyes remained set, and he shook his head at her slowly, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"I think you're making a mistake." he told her, trying to sound knowledgeable. "I really do."

The next second, the bedroom door swung open, and they looked up to see Derek standing there, anger clear on his features. They both stiffened with fear, Ryan out of fear for his safety, and Casey because she was terrified that Derek would've gotten the wrong meaning out of everything that had just happened, since she had no idea how much he had seen.

"You heard her." Derek said, his eyes narrowed at his opponent. "She wants you out. That means you leave."

Ryan stared at Derek, shifting away from Casey slightly as though afraid that he would be attacked at any moment. Casey couldn't blame him. The look in Derek's eyes was sort of terrifying. He looked as though he wanted to reach over and strangle Ryan, tackle him into the ground and make him pay for even thinking of making a move on his girl. He had always been a very protective and possessive guy, and this was no different.

"D-Derek, dude, I never even..."

"I got here in time to know that you kissed her, she didn't consent to it, and she has made it quite clear to you that she isn't interested. Not at all. Now I suggest you get the hell out of my house, and stay away from my wife. Trust me, if you weren't Kallie's brother, I'd have you in a coma by now." Derek paused, looking thoughtful. "Actually, it's sounding more and more tempting even now. So I highly recommend you go."

Ryan stared at him, a bit surprised by how worked up Derek had gotten over this. Derek, however, stood his ground, and took another step towards the pair of them.

"You heard me." he said, his voice dangerously low. "Get the hell out of here."

It didn't take anything more than that. Ryan jumped up, grabbing his jacket off of the bed next to Casey. She hadn't even seen him lay it down, but dismissed it as unimportant. She watched as Ryan turned back to her, blushing incredibly at the thought of losing the girl he'd never really had. She would've felt bad for him, if he hadn't of been such a jerk about everything.

"Sorry, Casey." he said quickly, staring at her. "I just-"

"Don't talk to her." Derek demanded, his voice harsh as he stepped towards the man. "Get out."

Ryan didn't even spare them another glance. He turned, rushing towards the door, and within two seconds, his footsteps could be heard retreating downstairs. Casey let out a deep breath, staring at the floor and entwining her hands together between her knees, and Derek stood there for a moment, trying to regain some composure, and stop his chest from heaving. No words were spoken between the two of them for a moment, and Casey was almost certain that it was because neither of them really knew what to say. She wasn't sure if Derek was mad at her, and she was pretty sure that he was wondering the same thing.

Finally, she spoke up, her heart beating madly in her chest.

"I didn't kiss him back." was all she said, needing him to understand that she hadn't been the one to initiate the kiss, nor had she let it go on. She hoped that he already knew this, but she couldn't say for sure. But much to her releif, Derek closed the door and took a few steps towards her, nodding his head.

"I know, Case." he said, letting out a deep breath. "I saw everything. And I'm so sorry for not believing you. I should've had more faith in you."

She nodded, frowning slightly as he came to a stop in front of her, his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, you should have." she agreed, sighing. "But I guess I did the same thing to you last week, when I thought you'd cheat on me when you were drunk, so... we're even, right?"

Derek smiled slightly, giving a one shouldered shrug.

"You could say that, yeah." he said, his voice softer than it had been all week. "Did you really mean what you told Ryan? Do you really think that we're perfect for each other?"

She nodded, reaching up and nudging his hands away from his pockets, taking them gently in hers. Her heart soared when he didn't pull away from her, and she knew he was pleased and surprised that she had even held his hands in the first place. She brought one of them up to her face, kissing it gently, and then giving him a reassuring smile.

"Of course I meant it." she confirmed. "Ryan doesn't mean anything to me, Derek. You mean everything to me, and despite how annoying you can be, I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything."

He still did not look convinced, and she gave him a playful smile, pulling him a little bit closer.

"Besides, nobody else knows how to get under my skin like you do. And as frustrating as you are, I'd miss that."

He grinned, pulling her up to him, and placing his hands nervously on her waist. He scanned her body quickly, his hands shaking, and she could tell that he was nervous about something. She saw him gulp, and she offered him a searching look, unsure of why he was this unstable.

"Can we talk, now?" he asked, cringing slightly. "I mean, you know me, I hate having these stupid conversations. But if it's what's going to save our relationship in the end, then I want to talk it all out."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, nodding slowly. She hadn't been this close to him in weeks, and she felt as though some invisible barrier had just been broken down. She felt as though they could begin to repair everything now. She wanted to, he wanted to, and together, they'd get through this. She smiled slightly, and pulled him tight against her, hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her waist completely, giving her body a gentle squeeze.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered, his lips pressed against her ear. "I really am, I promise. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. The past few weeks have been hell for both of us, and... don't think it was easy, being such a jerk to you. I always felt bad afterwards, and... the past few days have been so hard. I haven't had you, and I knew it was all my fault."

She shrugged as she pulled back to look at him, her arms still around his neck.

"I'm over it." she said, then paused. "Well, mostly, anyway. But it's not something that I can't forgive."

A sense of relief seemed to pass over his face, and the muscles in his chest relaxed slightly. She could feel this against her own chest, and she kissed his forehead.

"I didn't mean to make you jealous, over Ryan." she said, cringing slightly. "Maybe I flirted with him a little to make you a little nuts... to make you feel as bad as I had been feeling, I guess. But I didn't realize it drove you that crazy."

He shrugged, looking slightly embarassed.

"There's not much I get emotional about." he said, and she rolled her eyes, knowing this was true. His gaze turned serious again, and he frowned. "But when it comes to my family, I can't help it. Seeing you with Ryan this morning, when I came into the house... it killed me. The whole morning I kept picturing you kissing him, and touching him, and him being a part of yours and Jeff's lives... God it sickened me. The thought of you with anyone else kills me."

He shifted, blushing a little as he looked away. She could tell that expressing his emotions was becoming increasingly difficult for him. Finally, he gathered up enough courage to say what was on his mind.

"I just don't want anyone to take you from me." he admitted, looking worried. He glanced up into her eyes again, as though searching for some sort of confirmation that this wouldn't happen.

She shook her head, signalling that nothing like this would happen.

"Nobody is going to take me from you, Derek." she assured him, tracing tiny circles on the back of his neck with her fingers. She could feel him shudder slightly at the feeling of it, but she chose to ignore it. "Nobody ever could. I'm yours, completely, and nothing is going to change that."

He sighed, unwrapping his arms from her waist, and grabbing her hand. He seated her on the bed, before standing up and pacing the room slowly, running a hand through his hair, and down over his neck. She could tell that he was trying hard to think of the right words to say. Finally, he glanced back up at her, blowing out a patient breath.

"Jayden leaving was really tough on me." he spoke up, and she could tell that the old Derek, her Derek, was about to return. The one who was honest about how he felt, and what he needed. "I never should have taken it out on you like I did. Drinking seemed like the only option for me."

"It wasn't." she said quietly, quiet laughter in her voice. "I wanted to be there for you. I tried to get you to open up to me. But it was like nothing I did was enough for you. It was like... drinking meant more to you than our marriage did."

He shook his head, and she knew that this conversation was making him feel like the world's biggest asshole. And she hated admitting it, but he really had been one. And she knew that he was aware of that.

"Nothing means more to me than our marriage. Aside from Jeff, it's the one thing in my life that keeps me happy. he said, before smirking slightly. "Except maybe getting you angry, that holds a special place too."

She reached over, smacking his chest lightly, and he grinned. Her heart warmed as she realized that this was the first time they had joked around like that in ages. She had missed those little moments. There was an unbearable silence between the two, and she could tell that they were both doing some heavy thinking about their relationship. She heard the door slam downstairs, and she realized that Cole, Kallie, and Ryan must have left, probably to allow the two of them a chance to talk. She bit her lower lip, wanting so badly to ask him a question. She considered just moving on, and not asking, but she knew that everything she said counted, right now, and that they had to work together to get things back to where they belonged.

So taking a deep breath, she gathered up every ounce of courage that she possessed.

"Do you promise me, that when you come back, you're going to change?" she asked, worry creasing in her forehead. "Do you swear to me that everything will be okay? You'll go back to the way you were before?"

He looked her straight in the eye, and he nodded, sitting next to her and taking her hand gently in his own. He kissed it quickly, never allowing their eye contact to break.

"I'll never do this to you, again." he assured her, shaking his head. "You mean too much to me. Just trust me when I say that I won't do something stupid like this again. I don't want to risk it."

She nodded, and he pulled her against her in a tight hug. She closed her eyes, loving the feeling of knowing that everything was getting back under control- their control. She knew that they'd work this out, and that they'd be okay. The barriers that had been standing in their way were slowly being torn down, one by one, and the only one left was the fact that they were still on a break.

As though reading her mind, Derek spoke up again, his voice hesitant and hopeful.

"I'd better get going back to Sam's." he said, sighing deeply. "He'll probably have lunch ready by now."

He pulled back to look Casey in the eye, and she knew he was waiting for some sort of signal that it would be okay for him to come home, now. But as hard as she tried, she just couldn't bring herself to say it. She was almost scared that if he came back, and things didn't work out, the tiny bit of hope she had left would be gone. At least now, there was the slightest chance that when Derek came home, things would work out. So she forced herself to nod, and the tiny bit of hope in Derek's eyes died away.

She followed him downstairs, her mind screaming at her to let him stay, to take the final step in repairing their marriage. He deliberately took his time to grab the bag that he had dropped by the door on the way in, containing some of his belongings such as his camera and cellphone, that he had taken with him when out with Jeff that day. She knew he was practically begging her to say the words, and she felt her mind spin when he leaned forwards, kissing her forehead lightly.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I hope?" he asked, and she nodded slowly, folding her arms across her chest, but remaining silent. A worried look crossed his face, and he brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, looking concerned.

"If Ryan gives you anymore trouble, you tell me, alright?" he said, sounding completely serious. "Nobody is allowed to make a move on you. Especially after I specifically told him not to mess with you."

Casey laughed softly, but nodded, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Derek." she said, forcing a smile. "See you tomorrow."

He nodded quickly, and turned towards the door, securing the bag over his shoulder. She watched as he pulled the door open, and time seemed to be moving in slow motion as she had one last argument with herself over the matter. If Derek came back, and things didn't work out, at least she'd know that they needed more time apart. But something told her that they could survive it, and all that was left to be decided now was whether or not she was willing to take that risk.

And as she remembered the hurt look on Derek's face, the one that had been there since they had gone on a break earlier that week, she knew her answer. She knew what she had to do, to let her own mind rest, for a change.

"Derek?"

He turned around quickly, hope flickering through his eyes immediately. She could see that he was practically holding his breath in anticipaton, and she gave him a very tiny smile, giving a jerk of the head towards her.

"Why don't you stay?" she asked, unable to keep the smile off of her face. "It's getting awfully lonely here without you."

That was all it took. He kicked the door shut, dropping his bag next to the door, and practically running towards her. His arms wrapped immediately around her waist, and he lifted her up off of the ground slightly, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he held her. Her arms were around his neck, and they both felt happiness coursing through them like they hadn't felt in ages now. He spun her around once, whispering a quick 'Thank you' in her ear.

Setting her back down on the ground, he smiled articulately, before walking her against the wall, and allowing his lips to crash with hers, his fingers threading carefully through her hair.

"I love you." he murmered against her lips, the spark that had been missing for months now returned to their kiss. She pulled back, recognizing that there was no longer any bitterness in it, something that she had feared would happen when she kissed him again. She smiled at him, gripping the back of his neck gently.

"I know." she said, searching his eyes happily. "I love you, too."

And after that, no more words were needed. He allowed himself to kiss her again, and she let herself get lost in the feeling of what it felt like to be Derek's girl, again.

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**There's some Dasey to make up for... well... everything. :) Review, and if I get enough I'll attempt to post again before Saturday.**


	34. Perfection

**I am updating this as of 2011 to let people know that the social worker's name, as well as other names are not appearing within the text, as well as the lines used to divide sections. I have had a few complaints about this, I think I forgot to space the Mr. and the Bennett or whatever the last name was, and without the space, Fanfiction deleted such a title from all my stories when they did an update. I apologize for this! :) **

**Only epilogue left, folks ! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Perfection**

On a Saturday evening, almost seven weeks after Jayden had been taken away from them, and two weeks after they had ended their break, Derek was lying on the couch, staring blankly at the TV in front of him. There was some comedy movie playing, but he wasn't really paying attention to it. He was lying on his side, with Casey secured tightly in his arms. He combed his fingers through her hair in a repetitive motion, enjoying the feeling of the soft strands between his fingers. Her head was resting lightly on his chest, rising and falling steadily with every breath he took. She had drifted off to sleep about forty-five minutes before, and Derek hadn't had the heart to wake her. She had been through so much lately, most of it his fault, that he was pretty sure the only time she felt completely relaxed was while she slept.

He still felt incredibly guilty about the way he hd treated her for the first month or so of Jayden's absence, and it killed him to think that his disorderly behaviour had nearly cost them their marriage. He had been trying his hardest every single day to make up for all he'd done to her and Jeff. He had taken her out a couple of times, he had spent some quality time with their son, and he hadn't left her side, with the exception of work, which he was now attending regularily again. In fact, he was almost certain that she was soon going to beg him to stop crowding her.

He sighed, kissing her temple lightly, and relishing in the feeling of her warm skin beneath his lips. He smiled lazily down at her sleeping figure, feeling fatigue sweep over his body. He wasn't surprised. It was eleven o'clock at night, and he had been up since six to drive Casey to a writer's conference in Toronto. Rather than have to drive all the way home, only to come back again later, he had remained in Toronto, allowing himself to spend the day with Jeff. That technically meant that he'd been dragged from store to store, his feet aching more and more as the day went on, and his wallet growing considerably lighter. Jeff had inherited both parent's ability to get what they wanted, and he knew just how to trick his father into getting him what he wanted. Add in the fact that the guilt factor hadn't worn off yet, and Derek was a goner. Jeff had enjoyed his day in the city, but to Derek, it had been a very unfamiliar experience, being in Toronto without Jayden. Him and Casey finished Toronto frequently, of course, and they usually left both boys with a babysitter. But on the rare occasion when they'd decided not to call in the babysitter, they would bring both boys with them. So to Derek, only being responsible for one child was a very surreal experience, and he couldn't exactly say that it was one he liked.

He shifted slightly, pulling the blanket that they'd been sharing further over Casey, not wanting her to be cold. He grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, before burying his face in the crook of her neck, trying to let sleep overcome his body.

No sooner had his eyes shut, than a loud knock sounded at the front door. Derek cursed, jumping slightly, and he felt Casey's body tense fearfully next to his. She moved to get up, but he beat her to the punch, and coaxed her back down against the couch. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, smoothing her hair back gently.

"I'll get it, baby." he offered, smiling softly as he pulled the blanket back over her. "You just go back to sleep. Don't worry about it."

She looked hesitant, but slowly shook her head, allowing her eyes to fall shut again as she snuggled into her pillow. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her; she looked so adorable when she was sleepy. It was quite clear to him that she was absolutely exhausted from her ten hour conference that day.

He made his way towards the front door, wondering who would knock on their door at eleven at night. Unless they had an extremely good reason for waking Casey up, he would be very angry. He sauntered over towards the door, stumbling in the dark, and he cursed as he stubbed his toe off of the corner of the wall.

"Damn doorbell." he muttered, and Casey shifted a little, glancing up at him as he pulled back the curtain to try and see who it was. He squinted in the darkness, but couldn't tell who the person on the other side was.

"Who is it, Derek?" she asked, her voice filled with fatigue.

He let the curtain fall back into place, and he rolled his eyes, flicking the outside light switch on, and turning the light above them on as well. He scratched the back of his neck, yawning.

"I don't know." he said, shrugging. "Probably just a couple of idiot kids playing-"

But he stopped dead in the middle of his sentence when he pulled open the door, and his eyes fell on their guest. Just as tall as Derek remembered, with the same brown shaggy hair. His skin was a bit darker, but Jayden had always tanned easily. But at the moment, Derek didn't care what Jayden looked like; in fact, he wasn't all that sure that this was even real. He was wondering if he was asleep right now, if this was all a dream. Maybe he was just imagining this. Jayden couldn't be back. He was in California with Natalie, and he couldn't return to Canada until his eighteenth birthday.

But yet the twelve year old stood there, grinning happily at Derek, a bookbag slung over his shoulder. He was wearing his leather jacket, which did not seem to be keeping him very warm for the end of summer. He raised an eyebrow at the man in front of him, the smile never leaving his face.

"I travelled thousands of miles to get back to you, and all you can do is stare at me?" he asked, the happiness obvious in his voice. "I think I'm insulted. Are you going to say something to me, or should I just get back on the plane to the States?"

Derek continued to stare, his mouth open slightly in amazement. He wanted to speak, he really did, but his mouth just wouldn't allow it.

"Derek?" Jayden asked, a more serious look coming over his face. "Geez, the least you could do is say hel-"

But before he could finish his sentence, Derek had taken a step forward, and pulled Jayden to him in a hug, lifting him up off of the ground. Jayden gave a laugh, before securing his arms around Derek's neck to keep himself from falling. Derek squeezed him tightly to him, more emotion flooding through him than the day he'd had to let him go. His hugging rule could be ignored for something like this because really, he needed to make sure this was real.

After a moment or two, Jayden laughed, loosening his hold on Derek's neck, and pulling back to maintain some eye contact.

"Not that I'm not enjoying our little family moment, but it's sorta cold out here, and I miss my house."

Derek let Jayden down immediately, still unable to keep his eyes off of the kid in front of him. This had to be a joke, this had to be a dream. Jayden pushed past him, walking into the house, and Derek stared after him in awe. No sooner had he taken three steps into the house, than he was practically tackled by Casey, who grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug, nearly cutting off the poor boy's breathing. Jayden laughed, one arm around her back.

"Yeah, love you too, but I also love breathing."

She pulled away, and kissed the side of his head almost violently. She had a look of amazement on her face, and she clutched his face in her hands, her eyes scanning his features quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Casey asked as Derek kicked the door shut. "You're supposed to be in California."

Jayden shrugged, looking unmoved.

"I could go back, if you don't want me here." he said, but it was easy to tell he was kidding; he knew they wanted him more than anything. "And to make a long story short, I got sent back."

Casey placed a hand on his shoulder, and led him towards the couch. He dropped his knapsack on the floor behind him along the way, and Derek followed behind them, taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of them.

"What do you mean, you got sent back?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Does your grandmother know you're here?"

Jayden nodded, grinning.

"Yeah, she knows." he said, and he sounded rather smug. "She didn't really have much say in it, mind you, but she knows."

"Jayden, why..."

But before Casey could finish her sentence, the front door had opened up again, and a tired looking social worker walked in, a few bags slung over each shoulder. He dropped the bags down onto the floor, and gave them an exhausted look. Casey didn't blame him for not knocking, for he'd been carrying what looked like every belonging Jayden had taken with him. Casey and Derek's eyes instantly lit up with hope; they wouldn't have brought all of Jayden's belongings back to Canada if he wasn't staying, right?

"Sorry I didn't call." said, taking a few steps towards the three of them as Casey held Jayden against her, unwilling to let go. had obviously dropped his formal tone in favour of his fatigue, and he perched himself on the edge of the armchair, shaking his head.

"We had to catch the three o'clock flight, or we would've had to wait another eighteen hours. I wanted to get him back to you as soon as possible."

"B-Back?" Derek stammered, amazed. His heart was beating unbearably fast as he gulped, his nerves entirely worn out. He didn't want to allow himself to believe that Jayden was back for good, if he was about to be snatched from them again. Jayden grinned up at him, a knowing look in his eyes, and Derek couldn't help but relax a little bit.

"You mean he's here to stay?" he asked, his voice shaking. When nodded, he rather felt that this was one of the happiest moments of his life, even if it did follow almost two months of misery and grief.

"If you wish to adopt him, he's all yours." explained, shrugging. "I need to cancel the adoption papers that went through last week for Natalie, and if you drop by my office this week I can give you some new ones to fill out. The process will take awhile to finalize, but you don't have to worry about it. The decision is final, and he can return to you tonight."

Derek and Casey were both overwhelmed with shock and confusion; neither of them believed this could be real. It had to be a dream, for a miracle like this could not have occured. Trying to convince herself that maybe this was reality, Casey spoke up, placing her hand on Jayden's shoulder.

"How did he... I mean, why did Natalie... who..."

chuckled at her inability to form a proper question, but he appeared to understand what she was trying to say. He smiled lightly, knowing how happy he had just made the Venturi family.

"Devon Turner accused his mother of forcing him into the robbery." he explained, and Casey sat down on the couch, with Jayden following right after her. Derek sat down on the arm of the couch, rubbing his hand across Casey's back gently.

"None of the authority believed him at first, but finally, he convinced someone to check it out, and they did. Natalie straight out denied it, of course, but we did everything we could to discover the truth. We tracked her phone calls back to the night before, and realized she'd made six phone calls to her son within the nineteen hours before the robbery. It still wasn't enough to go on, obviously, so we had to try a different approach. The gaurds at the prison he's being held in phoned Natalie, and then allowed her son to speak with her. Within moments, she was yelling at him for busting her, and we knew then that Devon was telling the truth. His sentence is being reduced slightly, and Natalie's got to start her trial next week."

Derek glanced down at Casey and Jayden, who had never looked happier than they did right now. All he wanted was for his family to be happy and now, it was a possibility again. He couldn't believe that they may actually get things back to normal. He turned back to , finally starting to accept what was happening.

"So Natalie can't take him?" he asked, trying to cover all the bases. "Even when she finishes whatever sentence they give her, she won't be able to file for custody, or take her own custody back?"

shook his head, indicating that there were no catches here- that Jayden really was coming home.

"If you want permanent custody, all you've got to do is file for the adoption. I already know you are a more than suitable gaurdian for Jayden, and I know you can make him happy. Natalie clearly doesn't have the ability to raise another child, if this is how she treats her biological son. Trust me, she won't be allowed to file for custody ever again."

There was silence as Casey and Derek drank this news in, their hearts soaring with happiness.

"So tell me," said, a knowing tone in his voice. "Do you want to file for the adoption, or should I phone up his father's parents to see if they'd like custody."

Derek turned to Jayden, his eyes locking immediately with the younger ones. And he knew then that they really were family. They'd remained loyal to their true bond even through seven weeks of distance and misery, and nothing that life threw at them would matter anymore. Because they were all family. The four of them could be as happy as they had been before, give or take a few arguments, and nobody could try and take that from them ever again.

"What do you think, Jayden?" he asked, already knowing the answer. There was a stupid grin on his face, but he couldn't bring himself to let it fade. "You wanna make yourself an official Venturi?"

Jayden stood up before Derek, and he had a quick flashback of an eight-year old Jayden, the little boy who had come to stay with him four years ago. He had been so timid and unsure of himself back then. Everything had been filled with some sense of insecurity. He had been a victim of bullying, and Derek had spent all his time protecting him. But now, it was clear to Derek that the twelve-year old could protect himself perfectly fine. He'd lasted out in California seven weeks on his own, without any help from Derek or Casey, and he'd survived it.

Jayden laughed, nodding his head slowly, looking as though he wanted to burst with happiness.

"I think I was always a Venturi." he said, smiling, and Derek grinned, ruffling his hair, and refraining from hugging him. He was going to get a reputation as a softie if he kept doing that, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. But Casey had predictably burst into tears upon Jayden's words, and had stood up to wrap her son in a tight hug. Jayden and Derek both rolled their eyes at her display of emotion, though Derek knew Jayden enjoyed having Casey hugging him, for he used one arm to hug her back.

"You're never, ever, ever, ever, _ever_ leaving again!" she sobbed, kissing the top of his head, and Derek grinned, unable to stop himself from placing one hand on Jayden's shoulder as a sign of affection.

"You hear that, bud? You're a prisoner of Casey. And once she captures you, there's no turning back. Look at me, I've been held captive for years. I'm a hostage I tell you, a hostage!"

She gave choked laughter through her tears, and reached out to smack his shoulder agressively.

"Shut up!" she said, smiling depsite herself. "And I'll have you know, you aren't considered a hostage if you're willing to stay. I've tried getting rid of you several times, now, but everytime I turn around, you're still there."

Jayden looked up at Derek, shaking his head happily.

"I wouldn't want him to go anywhere." he said, being entirely serious, and yet playing on Casey's words at the same time. Derek couldn't help it then. Despite how much he didn't want to show any emotion, he leaned down, coaxing Jayden from Casey's grip and hugging him. He closed his eyes tightly, and Jayden did the same, as they both felt relief wash over their bodies. _'Thank God' _was the only logical thought that was running through either of their heads right now. He heard Casey turn to talk to the social worker, and he whispered to Jayden, wanting his words to remain between the two of them.

"I'm really glad you're back." he said honestly, feeling as though he had never spoken so much truth in his life. "I'm sure your little brother will be happy to have you back, too. He's really missed having you around."

Jayden nodded, looking excited at the prospect of having his little brother back again. He pulled away from Derek ,and stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking slightly unsure of what to say.

"I've missed him too, I hope he knows that." he said, and Derek knew it was the truth. "But you know what else I've missed?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Derek's eyes sparked with curiousity, and he gave Jayden a searching look, shrugging.

"I'd say the happiness, but Casey's taken up singing in the shower since you left, so the happiness is fading away, along with my hearing." he said, and her hand swiftly slapped his shoulder. He grinned, and some sense of relief seemed to wash over Jayden at the normalcy of his surroundings.

"I give up, what did you miss?" he asked, still smiling at Casey's actions. "Aside from the craziness?"

Jayden shrugged, and blushed, and Derek knew he was having trouble expressing his own emotions. The kid was turning out to be like Derek; he never wanted to show emotion, but it got the best of him at times like now. He mumbled something, but none of them heard him.

"What was that?" Casey asked, unsure of what he'd said. He raised his gaze to look at them, and shuffled his feet akwardly.

"M-My Mom and Dad..." he repeated, and before Casey or Derek could even answer, there was a voice from the top of the stairs.

"Mommy?"

A smile washed over Casey's face, and she leaned down close to Jayden, an idea clearly occuring to her.

"He probably had another bad dream." she said, already knowing why Jeff was awake. She hadn't even put his gaurdrails down yet, for she had known he would be up, scared. He'd been having nightmares lately.

"Do you want to go put him back to bed?" she asked him, and Jayden's eyes widened. He never usually helped out with putting his brother to bed.

"Me?" he asked, looking surprised, and Casey nodded, kissing his forehead. "B-But I..."

"Go on." she said, and they watched as he nodded, and slowly made his way towards the staircase. It was clear that Jeff didn't see Jayden right away, for there was silence for a moment. Derek smirked at Casey, knowing what was coming. He waited, before sighing.

"Three... two... one..."

"Jay!"

Derek chuckled, turning towards and extending his hand to shake.

"Thanks for everything." he said, his voice completely sincere. "It really means alot to us... it means the world to have him back. You can't even imagine."

glanced towards the happy looks on both adult's faces, and then towards the stairs, where happy chattering could be heard. He smiled as much as Derek had ever seen him smile, and shrugged one shoulder.

"I've got a pretty good idea." he said, sounding truthful. "You can pick up the adoption papers this week. I'll be talking to you soon."

With that said, he turned and walked towards the door. The second the door had closed, Casey practically jumped Derek, throwing her arms around his neck so that he stumbled backwards, caught off gaurd. He regained his balance, and grinned, wrapping his own arms around her and burying his face into her neck.

"He's back." she whispered, clearly amazed. "I can't believe he's back."

Derek nodded his head in agreement, pulling back to look Casey in the eye.

"I know." he said, running one hand through her hair. "It's amazing. I wasn't expecting... I can't... wow..."

"Do you know what this means?" she asked, a delighted gleam in her eyes. He raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to go on. "It means our family is complete again. Jeff's going to be happier now, Jayden is here again, and we..."

"We're okay, aren't we?" he asked, his eyes scanning hers nervously. "I've tried to hard to make up for everything I did. I'd like to think that we're back on the right track again. So are we alright?"

She smiled, squeezing him tighter to her, and pressing her lips against his, to which he happily returned the kiss. She only allowed it to go on for a moment, before pulling back slightly, nodding her head, and looking absolutely thrilled.

"We're absolutely perfect." she said, but Derek shook his head. She looked confused, and a bit worried, so he rushed to finish his statement.

"No such thing as perfect." he reminded her, for she had always told him that. "Of course, you're the closest damn thing there is to it. To me, you're perfect."

"We're... dysfunctionally wonderful." she decided upon, laughing slightly. "And in my mind, we are perfect. No question about it."

Derek laughed, kissing her lips qucikly to show that he agreed with her. He pulled back, grabbing her hand, and he squeezed it gently.

"Want to go check on the boys?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "They've either fallen asleep, since Jay was so tired from the plane, or they'll be a handful of energy. It's never anywhere in the middle."

Casey laughed in agreement, and nodded her head to show she wanted to go along. He led her upstairs, and they walked into Jeff's room, expecting to find their sons there, but to their surprise, neither boy was anywhere to be found. Derek gave her a curious look, and she shrugged.

"I have no clue." she said, and Derek thought for a moment, before smiling.

"I think I've got an idea." he said, and he led her towards Jayden's bedroom, knowing that was where they'd be.

And sure enough, when he pushed open the door to Jayden's previously abandoned room, he saw both boys asleep on Jayden's bed, Jayden's arm resting on Jeff's side. Derek grinned, kissing Casey's temple lightly as she flicked off the lightswitch.

"Leave them there for the night." he said, knowing it was best. "They'll be fine."

To his surprise, Casey didn't even argue. She nodded in agreement, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yup." she confirmed, nodding. "Perfect."

**Ending was a little rushed, because I was trying to finish before leaving for shopping, but I hope you enjoyed. Review and I'll post the epilogue soon. And check out my new story 'Through the Haze' if you want to :) Thanks!**


	35. Epilogue

**Make sure you read the author's note at the end of this, it is crucial! ) Read on, my friends, and review for me, one last time. And thanks to Allie for helping me work out some details about the end, you rock!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Epilogue**

"I can't find my necklace."

"It's on the dresser. Square dish."

"Oh... my... _God..._ I can't find my necklace!"

"Square dish."

"Derek is going to kill me."

"Not if you look in the dish on the dresser."

"-and I mean there is going to be a massive blowup. He's gonna _freak_! I don't know where it could _be_!"

"Here's a suggestion, how about that square dish, right in front of you?"

Casey finally noticed Cole's attempt at talking to her, and she glanced over onto the bed, squinting at him faintly. She shook her head, as though annoyed, and she frowned.

"Stop talking about dishes, I'm trying to find a necklace here!" she cried, and Cole stared at her, amazed, before flopping back down onto Casey's bed, rolling his eyes.

"I give up." he muttered, frustrated. "You're just as bad as Kallie is. I can sit here and shove an answer in your face, and you act like I'm non-exsistant."

Casey stopped then, her eyes focusing on him in confusion. He could tell that she hadn't processed a word that he had just said, so he sighed, jumping up and taking her hand. He practically dragged her towards the dresser, and placed her hand on the lid of the dish. With his hand guiding her motions, he lifted the lid off of it, and she gasped when she saw the locket that Derek had given her for her seventeenth birthday inside. He had taken it the year before, on their five year wedding anniversary, and had it enscripted with the same quote that their wedding bands had; 'Love Overpowers Everything'. She gasped, and threw her arms around Cole's neck, squeezing him tightly so that he could barely breathe.

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_" she cried, relieved. "Derek would've been so mad if I lost that!"

She pulled back suddenly, and smacked his shoulder, glaring at him. He winced, rubbing his arm, and gave her a confused look as she continued to scowl.

"What was that for?" he asked, confused. "What did I do?"

She pouted, clearly upset.

"You let me freak out when you knew the whole time it was there!" she accused, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You, Cole Myers, are cruel."

He considered arguing his case, and reminding her that he had been shoving answers under her nose for ten minutes now, and she had ignored him. He merely shrugged one shoulder, and nodded his head, giving a bewildered look towards Casey, as though he was ashamed.

"You're absolutely right." he decided, his voice emotionless. "What was I thinking? You shouldn't even be hanging out with someone as pigheaded, selfish, ignorant, and inconsiderate as myself. I'm half considering turning into a hermit, for I don't deserve to walk this earth with decent human beings like yourself."

Casey studied him carefully for a moment, as though trying to figure out if he was serious or not. Seeing the corners of his lips turning up into a smile, she giggled and let her arms encircle his neck again, hugging him.

"You're adorable." she reminded him, smiling. "I couldn't make you turn into a hermit. I'd feel bad if I let you hide that cute little face from society."

She pulled back far enough to pinch his cheek in a mocking manner, and he frowned, blushing with embarassment. She knew he hated it when people did that, because Kallie did it to him all the time to get him mad.

At that moment, Derek walked in, and stopped in the doorway, smirking.

"Why is it I always catch you in a compromising situation with my wife?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he took a few steps towards the two of them. "Don't you have your own?"

Cole shook his head, pouting.

"Didn't I tell you? She cut me off. Said I was too ignorant for my own good. But I figured... hey! Casey thinks I'm a charming young man with a sparkling personality, why not go for her? And here we are. The wedding is in a month. You're more than welcome to come, if you'd like."

Derek blinked at Cole, no hint of a smile on his face, but after a moment, he couldn't keep it in, and he grinned, rolling his eyes. He motioned for Cole to let go of Casey, and he smiled, reaching for her.

"Very funny." he said, taking her hand and twirling her towards him. "Now give me back my wife." He smiled softly as she came to a a rest in his arms, and pressed her forehead to his, smiling.

"This one's mine." he whispered, kissing her lips softly, and regaining eye contact with her when he broke the kiss. "Yours is downstairs. Now scram."

Cole rolled his eyes, but stuffed his hands into his pocket, and walked off, mumbling about overprotective husbands who couldn't be in a room two seconds without having to make out with someone. Casey laughed after him as they heard him call out to Kallie, who of course had not cut him off at all. The two of them would be celebrating their three year wedding anniversary in a few short months. Their daughter, Madison, or Maddie for short, was celebrating her fourth birthday in two months, and her younger brother Kevin would be celebrating his second in March. They were absolutely adorable kids. They both had soft blonde hair, like their parents, but their more physically distinct facial features were different. Maddie took directly after her father, whereas Kevin possessed many of his mother's features.

"How's my girl doing?" Derek said softly, smiling at her as their foreheads connected again. "Not seducing Cole, were you? Because I have to say, I've got some serious issues with that."

Casey sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Relax, baby." she said, rubbing the back of his neck teasingly. "I only seduce Cole when you're out of town on business, remember?"

Derek froze, and raised an eyebrow, though he knew she was only kidding. He scowled at her, clearly annoyed.

"That's it, I'm never leaving town again." he decided, shaking his head. "And I am _so_ watching Cole. Friends we may be, but if he makes a move on _my_ girl, he's getting his ass kicked."

Casey raised an eyebrow, and shook her head at him.

"There will be no hurting Cole." she said, a tiny smile making it's way onto her lips. "What did the poor man ever do to you?"

"Stop talking about Cole." Derek demanded, smirking as he lowered his lips against her neck, pressing kisses along her collarbone. She giggled,

"Mommy, Kelly stole my legos again!" came the cry of a six year old Jeff. "Tell her to give 'em back!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah, you did!"

"Did not!"

"Did-"

"Quiet!" Casey cried, annoyed. "Kelly, give your brother back his legos, please. Jeff, share with her!"

There was the sound of whispered protest, and then Jeff's voice could be heard again.

"But I don't wanna share with her, she's mean!"

"Alright guys, break it up!" came another voice from downstairs, and Derek grabbed Casey's hand, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. She leaned into it, her chest pressing up against his, before pulling back, Derek watching as she pouted slightly. He knew she had wanted to kiss him longer than that, and he had too, but if they didn't get downstairs soon, there would be a war between their six year old and their two and a half year old. But he knew that the kids would be in bed early tonight, since they were all attending Marti's birthday party that night, so he would be able to spend some 'quality' time with her then.

"We'll spend some time together tonight." he promised her, winking, and she giggled as he kissed the side of her neck gently. "And you know what that means."

Casey smirked, raising an eyebrow suggestively at him. She appeared to like this idea, for she pulled him even closer, kissing the corner of his mouth lightly.

"Can't wait." she said, before Derek took a step away, knowing that if he didn't go now, he'd never leave. He gripped her hand, leading her downstairs into the living room. They observed the situation before them. Their two and a half year old daughter, Kelly Venturi, was crouched on the floor next to a destroyed lego castle, and she grinned innocently up at her parents. A six year old Jeff was kneeling next to her, a scowl on his face, and his eyes hidden by his messy brown hair. Jayden, now fifteen and a half, was standing over his younger siblings, shaking his head in disapproval. His hair had only, grown longer, and fell around his ears in the same sandy brown color as it always had. He had never fully grown into the right height for his age, and was still a bit on the short side, but he had gotten over that. His style was almost identical to Derek's in high school; in fact, he still had a leather jacket that he wore at least twice a week. Today, though, he was merely wearing a blue and white long-sleeve and jeans.

"Learn to share, Jeff." he instructed, reaching down and lifting his younger sister into his arms. "C'mon Kel, you can go upstairs and find something else to play with."

Kelly scrambled out of Jayden's arms, an excited grin washing over her face as she scurried towards the stairs frantically.

"Guitar!" she exclaimed, and Jayden's eyes widened in horror. He turned to follow her, but Derek reached out, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him backwards.

"She can't even reach your doorknob, let alone lift your guitar." he reminded his son, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it."

Jayden rolled his eyes, but relaxed, glancing down at Jeff.

"She's just bitter because we played a prank on her this morning." he said, and Jeff grinned, revealing the gaps where he had recently lost two of his baby teeth. Derek fought back laughter as the two boys high-fived, and Casey scowled in disapproval, taking a step away from Derek, who had been wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Not funny, guys." she said, shaking her head. "Kelly is only two years old, you can't go around pranking her."

Both boys shrugged, and Casey frowned at Jayden, confusion in her eyes.

"I'd expect it from Jeff, but you're an absolute softie for your little sister." she reminded him, and he blushed, glancing downwards. "You're like Derek with Marti."

Jayden shrugged, regaining some of his dignity, and attempting to come out looking as though he was not the world's biggest softie for his toddler sister.

"She's a Venturi, she needs to be initiated into the world of pranking as soon as possible." he defended, and Derek grinned in agreement, extending his hand for a high-five. Casey slapped his hand away, scowling in disbelief at her husband.

"Derek!" she cried, frustrated. "That's so mean! She's your daughter! How could you even-" she trailed off as Jeff jumped up, running towards the stairs. "Hey, just where do you think you're going, Jeffrey? You're supposed to clean up your legos after you use them!"

"I'm sharing, like you told me to! I'm letting Kelly have some of my chores!" he called out over his shoulder. Casey opened her mouth to argue, but it merely remained open, wordless. Derek snorted, and Jayden supressed laughter at the little boy's words. There was a slamming of a bedroom door upstairs, and Casey shook her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I don't know why I bother with you men." she said. "You're all the same. You just want to annoy me."

Derek and Jayden glanced at each other, before nodding their heads, giving a shameless shrug of the shoulders.

"Pretty much, yeah." Derek said, and Casey smacked his shoulder violently, frustrated by his constant refusal to be easy to get along with. Derek laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him, kissing her forehead as softly as he could in apology.

"Sorry, baby." he whispered, grinning at her as she snaked her arms up around his neck, pulling him tighter. He kissed her gently, and Jayden rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his over-affectionate parents.

"Can the two of you go ten minutes without kissing?" he asked, only to have them both ignore him. He gave an annoyed sigh and unfolded his arms, storming off in the other direction. "Stupid adults..."

Casey laughed lightly at their son's impatience, and turned back to Derek, hearing the slamming of a door somewhere in the house, and registering that Jayden was ignoring them. She pulled him tighter, smirking as she kissed him. He eagerly kissed her back, delighted to be able to find some alone time with her. Things had been hectic all week long. Jayden's soccer championship had been out of town, so the whole family had packed up and gone on a three day vacation with him, so they could cheer him on. He had won, of course, just like he had won his team the hockey game during hockey season. He was a star athlete, but his main goal was to keep his soccer skills up, since that was his true passion. He was just as good as Derek was at hockey, after much coaching, and Derek suspected that he had a good chance of getting a scholarship when the time came.

"They've got to stop teaming up on poor Kelly." Casey said, pouting. "They're like you and Cole. You guys always gang up on me, except I've got Kallie to help me pay you back. The poor girl is stuck with the world's most annoying brothers imagineable, not to mention one of the most egotistical fathers on the face of the earth."

"She's got the hottest father on earth, actually." he corrected, smirking. He leaned in, his lips pressing against her ear. "Not to mention one of the sexiest mothers, as well. She got a good roll on the genetic dice."

She laughed slightly, burying her face into his neck.

"Aren't you feeling somewhat arrogant today?" she asked, though she knew that he wasn't lying. He shrugged, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.

"I called you sexy, be happy." was all he said, before pressing her against the wall, and pulling his head away from her hair to press his lips against hers. She was slightly taken off gaurd, for she hadn't expected it, but soon got into it, grinning against his lips. He gripped her hips, feeling his need growing stronger and stronger, but the clearing of a throat broke them apart. He groaned in frustration, turning towards the doorway, and he saw Kallie standing there with her son in her arms.

"Sorry to interrupt your little 'love-fest'." she said, looking as though she wanted to laugh. "But we've got to get going to your sister's party. You know the way she is. If you aren't there on time, she'll kill you."

Casey sighed, kissing Derek's forehead quickly and pulling away, lacing her fingers through his.

"Go get Kelly ready, and I'll get Jeff."

Derek frowned as she led him up the stairs, a thought occuring to him.

"Sure, you take Jeff. He doesn't have a pull-up to change, or hair to curl, or... or... well you take the easy job!"

Casey turned around, dropping his hand and raising an eyebrow at him.

"Derek, this is _Jeff_ we're talking about." she reminded him, stopping on her step. "You know, the kid that's related to _you_. He's trouble enough without the load of sugar you gave him this morning."

"It was pancakes!" Derek cried as she continued to walk up the stairs again, and he followed along behind her. She rolled her eyes, not bothering to turn around.

"They were double chocolate chip, and you drowned them in syrup!"

Derek shrugged, not seeing her point.

"He liked it." he pointed out, as though it were a no brainer.

"I'll be surprised if the kid isn't in some sort of a diabetic coma by the time we get upstairs."

Jayden walked to the foot of the stairs, and looked up at Derek, who was following along behind Casey, arguing his point. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Even after three and a half years, they still couldn't go a day without arguing with each other.

But that was what he liked about them.

- - - - -

"Thank you _so_ much for the present, you guys." a twenty-two year old Marti Venturi said, smiling fondly at her older brother and step-sister. "Me and Mark will really enjoy the trip."

Casey smiled at her younger sister, and then at her soon-to-be brother in law, Mark Grant. He was the same guy who Marti had taken to the 'Taking Back Sunday' concert about seven years before. They were still going strong, much to everyone's amazement. Mark had proposed to her eight months before, and their wedding was set to take place in five weeks. For a birthday gift, Casey and Derek had bought her two tickets to Hawaii. She was sure they would enjoy the alone time.

Derek, however, was taking this oppurtunity to annoy the hell out of his little sister.

"Just want to make sure my wonderful baby sister has an excellent birthday." he said, slinging his arm around her shoulder. She grimaced, blushing a little. "Because my little Smarti deserves a-"

"If I have to tell you one more time not to call me that, I swear to God..." she muttered, her teeth clenched. "I was _six._"

"And you're still my little Smarti." he grinned, holding her tighter. Marti looked hesitant for a moment, before shrugging, and wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug.

"You'll always be my Smerek."

Casey stared at them, smiling a little to herself as Jayden came up beside her with his little sister in his arms, and Jeff tagging along behind them. Casey looked down at Jeff, frowning.

"See, why can't you act like that all the time with your sister? Jayden does, and look how close those two usually are."

Jeff glanced up at Jayden, who indeed had Kelly's arms wrapped around his neck, and he scowled, folding his arms across his chest.

"Maybe 'cause I got dinity!" he said proudly, standing his ground.

Casey frowned, but whether it was for his lack of love for his sister, or his wrongful use of the word 'dignity', she did not know. Nonetheless, she shook her head, taking Kelly from Jayden's arms.

"It's dignity, sweetheart." she corrected him, smoothing her daughter's hair back off of her face. "And there's nothing wrong with being good friends with your little sibling. Jayden always got along great with you, didn't he?"

Jeff shrugged, and ran off in the other direction. Jayden stayed where he was, but the second Casey lay Kelly down on the grass of their parent's backyard, she had scrambled off after her big brother. Casey shrugged, and glanced over at Derek, who had just let Marti go off in the other direction. Derek peered over her shoulder at their two youngest kids, who were currently engaging in some sort of a wrestling match across the garden.

"Want me to go stop them?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, and Casey sighed, glancing over her shoulder and shaking her head, knowing it was useless.

"What's the point?" she asked, watching as Kelly tugged on Jeff's shirt to annoy him. "They're always fighting."

Jayden gave Casey a pointed look, raising an eyebrow.

"And you mean to tell me that growing up, the five of you got along perfectly under one roof?" he asked, referring to the two of them, and their three siblings. "I've heard the stories your parents tell, I know your house was chaos."

Casey rolled her eyes, not wanting any of Jayden's examples at the moment. She shook her head, turning back to her husband.

"Forget it." she sighed, taking a step forward and entwining her fingers with Derek's once more. "Jayden, why don't you go on over with Edwin and Lizzie? You haven't spoken with them yet."

Jayden rolled his eyes, one eyebrow raised suggestively. Casey knew that he saw right through her excuse, and he immediately brought this to knowlefge.

"That's code for 'leave us alone, we want to kiss', isn't it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Derek nodded shamelessly, but Casey glared at him, shaking her head as she turned back to Jayden.

"No, it is not." she assured him, giving him a gentle push towards her sister and stepbrother. "It means you should go say hello to your aunt and uncle... while I maybe give him a kiss or two..."

Jayden sighed in disgust, but they both knew that he really didn't mind. He had been overjoyed, when he returned, to find that Casey and Derek were doing okay again, and there would be no divorce. He had immediately settled right back into his natural place as a Venturi, and they had been ecstatic to have him. The adoption had been made official in November of that year, and it was an added bonus when Jayden had his name officially changed in December. He was now Jayden Alexander Walker-Venturi. He was proud to have the name of both his biological parents, and the ones who had naturally filled the role. They loved him just as much as they did their own kids, and he was their son, through and through.

Natalie had been sentenced to two years in jail for her crimes, and Devon Turner had been released after eight months. He was still held responsible for having carried out the crime, but it was clear to the courts, and to the Venturis, that it had never been a willing choice. Natalie had not bothered to contact her grandson upon being released from prison, but Devon had. Derek and Casey had been reluctant, at first, to allow him anywhere near their son, but they understood that keeping him from his nephew would be like what Natalie had done to them, and they never wanted anyone to go through that. Devon and Jayden had developed a pretty close bond, and Devon had finally gotten some much needed closure over his sister's death. They'd actually come to realize that Devon was a nice guy, when he wasn't under his mother's commands.

As Jayden wandered off towards Edwin and Lizzie, Casey turned to Derek, shaking her head.

"Kid's got us figured out, I'll give him that." she said, smiling. "l'm so proud of him, Derek. He's been through so much in his life, and he still manages to keep a smile on his face."

Derek smiled at her, reaching up to brush a strand of hair away from her face. He kissed the spot that had been covered lightly, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her as tight as possible against his body.

"You're absolutely beautiful, do you know that?" he asked her softly, and she blushed under his words, glancing away. He gripped her chin, tilting it back towards him. "You really are. Don't ever think otherwise."

She offered him a tiny smile, flattered by his words. Ever since their whole encounter, the one that had almost ended in divorce, he had made sure that she was told that she was loved at least twice a day, he complimented her at least once every single day, he'd make sure that there was time spent with each of their children, and her, before he went to bed. He was a model husband. He still had his flaws, of course. He could still be a pretty big idiot, and she still wanted to hit him some days, but overall, he had changed back into the amazing guy she had married years ago, and an amazing father of three.

"You tell me that all the time." she reminded him, still smiling. "I'm glad you feel that way, but I personally think I'm getting old."

He frowned, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.

"Case, you're thirty-one." he said, shaking his head. "You're not going to be considered old for another twenty years or so. Get over it."

She laughed slightly, pressing her forehead to his, the smile never leaving her lips. He watched her for a moment, the confusion wearing off his face, and being replaced by absolute amazement. She noticed this, and her smile slowly faded as she stared into his eyes very seriously. She could sense there was something on his mind, and she frowned, tracing her finger along his jawline gently.

"Derek, what is it?" she asked him, wondering if she'd said something to get him mad. "Was it something I said?"

He raised his gaze to meet hers, and shook his head slowly, his eyes swimming with emotion. He gripped her chin a little tighter, bringing her lips down to his. He gave her a soft, delicate kiss, and both of their eyes fluttered shut for just a moment. When he pulled away, her eyes remained closed for one brief second, and then she opened them to look at him.

"It's nothing." he said, shrugging. "It's just that... it still amazes me. I love you just as much as I did the day I married you. More, if possible. It's a mystery to me how I almost threw all of this away, for nothing. I mean, if you had of divorced me, there would be no us, no love, no magic, and no Kelly. And that little girl, she means everything to me, just like her mother."

Casey smiled at the mention of their little girl, nodding.

"We finally got our girl." she said, laughing a little. "If she had of turned out to be another boy, I think I would've cried. The three of you are enough. It's about time we got some more feminine power in the house."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Derek droned, rolling his eyes, his playful side instantly emerging. "There's still three of us and two of you."

She snorted, glancing away for a brief moment, before giving him a doubtful look.

"You're a sucker for her, Derek." she reminded him, and he blushed, knowing it was true. "I always knew when you had a daughter, you'd be a goner. One look at her, and you break down entirely."

He sighed, knowing it was true, and she went on.

"But you're the same with Jeff and Jayden too, just in a different way." she reminded him, smiling. "I know how much they all mean to you."

Derek nodded, a tiny smile making it's way to his lips. It was easy to tell how much his children meant to him.

"Yeah..." he said slowly, a faraway look in his eyes. "They all mean so much to me. They make everyday amazing, and... I don't know what I'd do without them..." he paused, kissing her forehead gently. "-or you, of course."

Before she could answer, there was a scream from the front of the house and the screeching of brakes, and Derek's eyes snapped over to meet hers. Every single person in the backyard was immediately aware that something had happened, something wasn't right.

And through the crowd, Derek's eyes connected with Jayden's. He felt a tiny bit of relief flood through him that one of his children were safe and sound, but as he glanced around the backyard, he saw no signs of the other two. Why did kids have to be so damn short, anyways? But ten more seconds of looking told him they simply weren't there, and his eyes wandered towards the gate, which, to his horror, was wide open. And when he met Jayden's gaze again, they both understood one of the kids was somehow involved in whatever this was.

Derek's hand instantly found Casey's, and he took off running towards the front of the house. He was surprised that none of the sixty odd people in the backyard had taken action yet. They all seemed to be too afraid to move, frozen to their spots, terrified to know who'd been injured. Derek could feel Casey's hand clutching his nervously as they reached the front of the house, and examined the situation in front of them.

Derek's heart jumped into his throat, and Casey stumbled backwards, overwhelmed. Derek didn't know who caught her. At the moment, he didn't care, as long as she was alright.

Jeff and Kelly were both lying on the black pavement, the little girl about five feet further than Jeff was. A car was stopped right behind them, signalling one of them had been hit. There was blood, and for one split second, one terrifying moment, Derek had no idea which one of them it was coming from. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, because then he'd have to react.

But when he focused more accurately on the situation, it was easy to see that it was Jeff who was injured. Kelly was merely crying, watching as her brother lay there, half concious, bleeding. Derek couldn't think, he couldn't move. He couldn't force himself to believe that this was his little boy, his pride and joy, lying there, hurting.

But common sense kicked in, and everything that had been moving in slow motion finally seemed to kick into full gear. He was unaware of the people milling around behind him, finally coming to observe what was going on. He ran forwards on shaky legs, falling next to Jeff on his knees, clutching his face desperately. His eyes were half open, but they had a distant, faraway look in them- one a parent shoulder never have to see in their child's eyes. Derek couldn't even tell where he was bleeding from, it was that bad. He didn't want to know. All he knew was that it was everywhere.

"Jeff? Buddy?" he asked desperately, his voice harsh and wavering. "P-Please answer me, little guy. Come on."

He was aware of Casey finding her way over to him, and landing on the other side of Jeff, leaning down close to him.

"Jeff... please!" she cried, already in hysterical tears. Cole kneeled next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her from passing out.

Jayden stepped up behind them, shaking uncontrollably, his eyes fixed on the boy in front of him, his little brother, his friend. He shook his head, his eyes wandering down to Derek.

"Dad..."

Derek was barely aware of his presence. He shook his head, his eyes never leaving Jeff.

"Go get Kelly!" he ordered, his voice harsh with unshed tears. Jayden didn't even have a second to move before Derek had repeated himself. "Did you hear me? I said go get your sister!"

Jayden moved immediately, scooping his sobbing sister up into his arms, and turning her away from the sight, feeling that she shouldn't see something like this.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Derek cried, frustrated that he could basically do nothing about this. Jeff was having trouble breathing, and Derek reached down, pulling him up slightly. He knew that they usually told people not to move someone in this sort of state, but Jeff couldn't breathe lying like that. He held him against him, not caring that there was blood getting on him.

"I said someone call a fucking ambulance!" he yelled, close to tears.

"I already did." Cole said quietly, his eyes fixed on Jeff.

Casey shifted to help Derek hold their son up, and she couldn't stop her tears as they flowed freely from her eyes.

"Baby... baby, please..." she was sobbing, watching as his eyes fluttered shut again.

"Mommy?" he murmered, his lips barely moving, and Casey's eyes widened as she nodded her head frantically, wanting him to know she was there. She clutched his hand tightly in her own, her body shaking.

"It's me, Jeff. Don't worry, baby. I'm here. Your Daddy's here, too. It's going to be okay. Just stay awake."

"Hurts..." he muttered, his eyes still closed, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly to acknowledge her voice.

"I know, I know it does." Derek murmered, smoothing Jeff's hair back off his face. "Hold on, bud... the ambulance is coming, and they can take all the pain away, I promise. But you need to stay awake."

And he tried, he really did. The only thing that kept him even half concious was the sound of his parent's concerned and loving voices, begging him, calming him, _needing_ him to be okay. Needing him to survive this. Lying in his parent's arms was all that kept him going until the orange and red lights of the ambulance began flickering on the pavement, signalling that help was here for him. Someone was going to try and fix this.

Because they had been through way too much not to get through this.

* * *

**I swear, this started as a happy ending. I swear it did. This decision was made paragraphs before the story was ended. It was supposed to be Kelly that fell, but she just fell down and scraped her knee when her and Jeff were playing tag. It was going to be a whole "Jeff helps comfort her and proves he's a good big brother " sort of thing and Casey and Derek would see it and be all happy, and voila, happy. But then this came to mind, which brings me to my next note.**

**Before you kill me, there WILL BE A TRILOGY! I am not this cruel, I will not cut it all off here! So if you want the trilogy, I advise you to review, lol! And check out Through The Haze which is currently in progress. I will post the trilogy after that, but TtH will be nowhere near as long as this, so it shouldn't be too long, but I do expect reviews! What happened exactly will be exposed in the trilogy. **


	36. Note About the Sequel

**Just to let you all know, the sequel to this story, 'Because I Have You' has been posted. Check out my profile to read it :) **


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